Field Trip
by phoenixdown7
Summary: The story of a boy who likes a girl and hates a boy, and how a field trip, an onsen and a bar flip everything on its head. SasuNaruSasu. Part II rewritten as of 8/5/12. Part III COMPLETE!
1. Part I: I hate You

Disclaimer: Do Not Own. Do Not Want. Will remain poor.

AN: This is a two-parter…and this is the first part…yeah…

Field Trip

Part I: I Hate You

"Look! Oh, isn't that beautiful?"

Naruto watched Sakura, who sat two seats in front of him, stare and point out at the view through one of the ferry's windows as her friend, Ino, practically gushed beside her and took pictures with her gaudy pink cell phone.

Naruto had to admit, it was actually quite beautiful – the view. There seemed to be an orange torii gate out in the water ahead of them, right in front of an island that looked lush and green in the haze of the evening sun.

But he wasn't looking at the view.

Sakura's short pink hair tousled perfectly against the nape of her neck as she smiled prettily and pointed with one long, lanky arm toward the torii gate in the water. Her pale skin practically glowed in the setting sunlight, and as it was summer in Japan, she was only wearing a spaghetti-strapped top, showing off her milky shoulders and the top of her gently curving collarbone.

Naruto sighed, she was quite simply the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"Are you ever gonna make your move, fox-face? You're starting to drool on the seats," his friend, Kiba, quipped, nudging him unhelpfully in the arm and smirking.

"I'm not drooling!" Naruto retorted with slightly more force than he'd intended, but managed to undercut the furosity of his statement by wiping the back of his hand hastily across his mouth only to find it dry.

"Well, no, not literally," his friend conceded, but somehow that didn't make Naruto feel much better with the way Kiba's mouth was still pulled into that knowing smirk. "But I can see it all over your face. You've still got it _bad_."

Naruto sighed and frowned. Kiba was right, he did have it bad. In fact, he'd been trying to ask the girl out since the beginning of the trip a whole _three weeks_ earlier, but every time he had gotten up the nerve to even _talk_ to her, that stupid _bastard _had gotten in the way.

Naruto looked over to one of the seats on the other side of the ferry and glared at said bastard as the teen slouched in his seat, looking aggravatingly cool in his blue, sleeveless hoodie and his huge noise-blocking headphones, which barely contained his annoyingly stylish black hair. The person who irritated him more than anyone else – his eternal rival in love – suddenly opened his eyes and looked Naruto's way, noticing Naruto's glare and answering it with one of his own. "_What_, dead-last?"

"_Nothing_, asshole!" Naruto clenched his fists, but turned his head away, fuming. That guy was _such_ a prick!

For one thing, he'd made Naruto look like a total moron the moment he'd set foot in Japan – they hadn't even gotten out of the Narita airport!

That day, he'd offered to buy Sakura something to drink before they left, which he had been thrilled she'd accepted. At the food court, he'd been trying to figure out the Japanese currency, but he'd be damned if it wasn't one of the most confusing systems to understand, and he ended up scrounging through his millions of coins (seriously, why did they have coins for 100 yen when they could just use bills?) and accidentally dropped his lucky frog purse onto the ground, losing all of its precious contents all over the floor.

At that point, people in the line behind him had begun to get angry. As Naruto scrambled on the floor, Sakura and Ino, along with the rest of his class, had shown up to see what all the commotion was about. He had been embarrassed all right, but right before he'd been able to finish picking up all of his coins and reclaim his dignity, that _bastard_,Sasuke, had walked up, called him an idiot, and paid _for _him – effectively buying Naruto's gift for Sakura himself and ruining Naruto's chances at impressing her.

Sakura had been absolutely _thrilled_, of course, Naruto remembered with a grimace. In fact, she had been all over her _Sasuke-kun _after that, completely forgetting that Naruto even existed.

But it hadn't ended there. Every time he'd tried to do something nice for Sakura or even talk to her in the weeks since, Sasuke had always gotten in the way. What with his, _being near them_ at all times, and his _walking around _in their general vicinity.

There was simply no time Naruto could get Sakura alone! She would always get distracted by _Sasuke-kun _and completely ignore Naruto altogether, but then the bastard would have the gall to completely ignore her – _Sakura _– the most amazing, most beautiful girl in their school! Naruto didn't know what aggravated him more, Sasuke's mere existence or his maltreatment of the girl Naruto adored.

And all that was on top of the fact that any time Naruto even looked in Sasuke's general direction, the boy would insult him with _idiot _this or _dead-last _that. Like he was looking for a fight or something.

Seriously, he was so aggravating!

"Dude," Kiba broke into his angry mental rant. "No need to hyperventilate, man. Just talk to her now while she's distracted by the sights – sure beats being distracted by _other_ things."

Naruto stared at him, realizing that he was right. She wasn't cooing over Sasuke. Now was his chance!

Naruto collected his nerve and leant over the back of the seat in front of him, pushing his head a bit between an unamused Shikamaru and a surprised Chouji who sat in the bench seat between Naruto and the object of his affections. Sakura was still infatuated with the view out the window, so Naruto cleared his throat.

"Hey, Sakura?"

Ino turned first and then Sakura, who's eye twitched in distinct annoyance. "Yeah, Naruto?"

Naruto tried not to get discouraged by her exasperated tone. After all, he was used to it. "Uh…" Naruto suddenly realized he didn't even know what to say.

Ino was looking back at him darkly as though he was something quite revolting stuck to the bottom of one of her designer shoes. Sakura let out an impatient breath and blinked slowly.

"Erm…" He began, realizing he was going to lose Sakura's attention if he hesitated any longer. "Do you wanna go on a walk with me once we reach the island?"

Sakura looked like she was considering it, placing a finger to her lip in thought, and getting his hopes up, but her final answer decimated all of that. "No."

"But…" He began, grasping at straws now. He was sure that if she just gave him a chance she'd grow to like him. Of that he was certain.

"She said, no, loser," Ino replied bitingly, rolling her eyes at him. "Can't you take a hint?"

Naruto clamped his mouth shut, realizing that his effort was futile and he fell back against the cushion of his bench seat, frowning. By now the occupants of the entire ferry were silent, having all probably heard the exchange.

"Ouch," Kiba muttered unhelpfully from beside him, and Naruto sent him an irritable look.

Naruto felt a lot of eyes on him, but he also noticed from the corner of his eye that Sasuke was staring at him from across the aisle. Naruto looked away, not feeling in the mood to see his rival gloat like he most certainly was doing.

Naruto shoved his hands into the front pockets of his shorts and looked out the window instead. He couldn't wait to get to the island. He really needed a walk.

…

"There sure are a lot of deer here."

Naruto stepped out of the visitor's area and onto the soil of Miyajima, watching Kiba who had just made an eloquant observation as he walked up to a deer and attempted to pet it. Naruto's other classmates started ambling out from behind him, chatting amongst each other and ready to start moving after that fairly uneventful ferry ride from Hiroshima.

"Ah! Sakura, keep those things away from me! I just bought this!" Ino practically screeched, running behind her pink-haired friend as a deer edged closer. The girl clutched her specially-designed shirt as if it would get ripped off her back at any moment, and glared at the animal as Sakura simply rolled her eyes.

"Ino-pig," Sakura muttered, trying to turn around in order to address her friend directly, but Ino wouldn't have it, shuffling behind her friend everytime she moved. "You'll be fine as long as you don't go near it."

Both girls stopped their fussing, however, once Sasuke exited the visitor's center and took his place next to a wall, leaning against it and looking as though he was bored with life in general.

Naruto sighed and crossed his arms behind his head, turning away from Sakura as she and Ino apparently forgot about the deer in favor of giggling and casting Sasuke furtive glances. Sasuke, for his part, was ignoring them, but when he noticed Naruto glaring at him, his expression changed from one of boredom to irritation. Naruto frowned before looking away. He couldn't stop a bitter expression from twisting his face into a scowl.

He went to stand beside Kiba and was roughly shoved in the shoulder for his effort.

"Dude, don't get your panties in a bunch." Kiba sniggered when Naruto glared at him. "It's not like this hasn't happened before."

Naruto sighed in defeat. Kiba was right. He should have been used to this scenario.

After all, he may have felt a little morose from his rejection, but he was certainly never one to sulk. That just wasn't who he was.

Either way, Naruto was glad to be out of that stuffy boat and once again on dry land. Somehow, it made his spirits lift a little. He figured he'd just give Sakura a day or two before trying again. He pointedly ignored the voice in the back of his head that was insistantly telling him to stop being such a masochist and just move on with his life. He never gave up, though. That just wasn't his way.

The muggy summer air was beginning to cool down as evening quickly approached and the tide moved in. The temperature was comfortable and he had to admit the island _was _beautiful.

He looked around and noted that Kiba was right, there _were _a lot of deer – all staring at them with their beady black eyes. A shiver ran up and down Naruto's spine as the more imaginative part of his mind ran into overdrive – supplying him with a gamut of indecent things the deer were currently planning to do to him.

He didn't like those deer. He'd seen their counterparts all over Japan on this trip. There were an obscene amount in Nara, and he couldn't forget what happened there. For one thing, they may have _looked _harmless, but they constantly stared at you with _no_ expressions. Like they were dead inside.

And for another thing…

"Ack! That's not food, stupid ungulate!" Kiba exclaimed loudly, smacking one particular deer on the top of the head as it tried to eat his shirt.

…the sneaky bastards ate _everything_.

It was true. He'd seen one in Nara chewing contentedly on a _sock_.

"Kiba!"

Their teacher and the group guide of their class's entire trip in Japan, Mr. Umino, finally stepped out of the visitor's center and looked down at Kiba exasperatedly. "Don't touch the deer! They're _sacred_!"

"But it's eating my shirt!" Kiba whined, finally tugging a large portion of his shirt out of the deer's powerful jaws. "Sacred, my ass."

"Kiba!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Kiba relented, stepping away from the deer and suspiciously watching its friends that meandered around the area as Mr. Umino passed him, followed by his assistant, a slightly less motivated teacher named Mr. Hatake.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru stopped beside Naruto and absently pet the head of the deer closest to him.

It was strange. The deer never attacked Shikamaru. Actually, in a crazy way, it seemed like they all looked up to him. Naruto swore they sometimes acted reverent in his presence like he was some sort of sacred-deer king or something. Naruto shook his head. The earlier heat of the day must have been frying his brains.

"Can I have your attention, students?"

Everyone's attention focused on their teacher who was now standing at the front of the group. Iruka smiled at them and placed a hand on his hip. Mr. Hatake stood nonchalantly behind him, his nose buried in one of his infamously trashy novels as Mr. Umino began his ritual start-of-the-trip speech.

"Our inn is up the path to the right, past the Miyajima temple, I will be leading you all there," He stopped as the students began to talk excitedly. "All of your luggage is being unloaded from the ferry and will be taken to your rooms at the inn. Now, I'm going to give you all your room assignments."

Naruto's classmates let out a collective groan, because this always meant that they could each potentially be forced into randomly selected groups of people they didn't like or get along with.

Naruto and Kiba shared a groan of their own. They'd only been able to share the same room for one night in the beginning of the trip before they were forced to stay separated after that. Naruto surmised that the real reason Mr. Umino did this to them was so that Naruto and Kiba, the known troublemakers, could be kept apart.

As with each time this happened, Naruto hoped and prayed he wouldn't be put with people he hated, which, luckily, was a pretty short list.

"The rooms at this inn, " Mr. Umino continued, ignoring the groans and raising his voice above them. "are only big enough for a pair each, but don't worry, you will all be separated by gender and you will all have separate futons." He paused as though he'd expected an appreciative chuckle from his captive audience, but when he was only met with an uncomfortable silence, he carried on. "The first randomly selected pair is: Shikamaru and Kiba…"

"Could've been worse," Kiba mumbled with a grin before he clapped Naruto on the back and moved to stand beside Shikamaru, who looked about ready to fall asleep standing.

"Hinata and Ten-Ten," Mr. Umino continued, reading off of his list. "Ino and Temari, Chouji and Gaara, Shino and Kankurou, Neji and Sai, Rock Lee and Konohamaru, Suigetsu and Juugo, Sakura and Karin…"

Both girls looked taken aback before glaring at each other, neither moving toward the other for the customary march to their night's lodgings. It was no surprise to Naruto,or anyone else, as it was well known that both girls were vehement rivals for Sasuke's attention. That had been one fact Naruto had preferred to ignore on most occasions, for obvious reasons, even though he knew it to be true. It was just another reason he had to hate the stupid bastard.

"…and finally, Sasuke and Naruto."

Naruto suddenly tensed and his eyes widened at Mr. Umino's words.

In the last three weeks he had never been paired up or even put in the same group with Sasuke. At first he'd considered himself extremely lucky but as the weeks wore on, what little logic he had convinced him that Mr. Umino must have been purposefully keeping them from being put together because the man had known Naruto hated Sasuke with every fiber of his being. He'd thought the man, who had been his teacher off and on since kindergarten, had been looking out for him. So, he couldn't hold back his shock that Mr. Umino had actually let it happen this time. And for him to be paired with that jerk _today_ of all days…he just wouldn't allow it.

"I'm not going to stay in the same room with that bastard, Mr. Umino!" Naruto yelled this loud enough for Mr. Umino to hear him from the back of the crowd, and everyone else turned back to stare at him, including Sasuke who, as usual when looking at Naruto, appeared highly irritated.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Umino frowned. "You have a problem, Naruto?"

"Yeah!" Naruto stepped forward, speaking fervently. "I'm not going to be paired up with Sasuke so you're gonna have to change my assignment."

"I can't change your assignment, Naruto. Everyone else already has a partner for the night," Mr. Umino replied tiredly, rubbing the scar on his nose. "And your luggage has already been delivered. Your assigned roommate is final."

"But – !"

"It's _final_, Naruto," Mr. Umino interrupted, his voice commanding.

Naruto closed his mouth and frowned bitterly. Kiba sent him a sympathetic look, but it didn't make Naruto feel much better.

The group fell into pairs and formed a line, but Naruto only joined Sasuke's side at the very last moment, and even then he remained as far away as he could, skirting the side of the dirt road just before it dropped off a steep cliff down to the bay. Sakura and Karin were only a row ahead, but Naruto stopped watching them when he realized they were still bickering and glancing back at Sasuke furtively between each scathing remark. Sasuke had gone back to looking perfectly bored out of his mind – walking beside Naruto as if he didn't even know he was there.

Naruto huffed irritably and looked away after that, suddenly noticing that it was beginning to get dark as lanterns that hung along the pathway and flanked the water lit their way. Every once and a while, he'd spot deer lying down within the orange pools of light, watching the students as they passed. Naruto couldn't keep a slight shiver from racing up and down his spine as their beady black eyes locked on to him.

But he looked out across the water and saw that the Torii gate they had seen as they approached the island was now lit up brilliantly from below, the high tide lapping at its stilts and glittering beneath it. For a moment, Naruto completely forgot about his bad mood and stared.

There was a temple just within the bay, facing the torii gate, and it had been lit up as well. Its orange pillars sank into rising tide as the structure reached out toward the gate, hallways of pillars crisscrossed through the structure toward the middle, where a small platform adorned with the statue of a golden fish reached out into the nearly black, sparkling water.

The entire group was unnaturally silent as they made their way down the path toward the temple and beyond. Sometimes they would be passed by Japanese men and women in striped yukata all walking in the same direction they were. Some of these people would stop and stare at Naruto, Ino, or Temari – something they, as blonds, had all gotten used to as they traveled through Japan. At first the attention had been unnerving, but eventually, Naruto had learned to shrug it off.

Naruto couldn't help feeling a certain peace wash over him as he entered one pool of lantern light after another. A slight breeze whipped across the water and slightly cooled his skin as they walked.

The dark water rippled invitingly, but it also looked foreboding, like a well of black ink waiting to swallow a person whole. Naruto suddenly wondered how deep the bay was and if anyone had drowned. He'd heard a lot of myths during the trip, as he and his classmates visited temples and shrines all across Japan. A lot of the stories were dark and some were even scary. It wouldn't surprise him if there was a tale told about a poor soul who had drowned in the inky water of this bay and still haunted it to this day.

When they passed the temple, Naruto looked past the heads in front of him and saw a brightly lit inn at the end of the path. Mr. Umino entered it and everyone else followed, finding themselves waiting in a tastefully decorated, brightly lit lobby.

In minutes, Mr. Hatake came around to give everyone their room keys. Naruto and Sasuke were the last to receive theirs, having to watch most of the group make their way to their lodgings for the night, before Mr. Hatake stopped in front of Sasuke to give him his and Naruto's key.

Sasuke barely looked at Naruto before making his way to an elevator. Naruto followed at a distance, annoyed that Sasuke had to get their only key and Mr. Hatake hadn't even had the sense to give him a spare. Apparently, they were the only ones going up to the second floor at the moment, so when the elevator doors slid closed it was just the two of them.

Naruto tried his best to ignore the fact that he was alone in an elevator with his hated rival, but it was hard with the elevator walls being a shiny gold and thus reflecting Sasuke's sullen expression back at him wherever he looked. He even looked straight ahead and couldn't help but see Sasuke reflected back at him in the shiny doors. He was also irritated to notice stupid things like the fact that Sasuke was still taller than him by a few inches even though Naruto had gone through a huge growth spurt after his sixteenth birthday.

Needless to say, the tension was mounting. At least, it was for Naruto. Sasuke, the bastard, could have very well been secretly enjoying Naruto's discomfort.

Naruto was just beginning to think that this was the longest elevator ride to the second floor of any building he had ever been in when, suddenly, there was a short dinging sound and the doors popped open.

Naruto followed Sasuke down the hall to their room as he had no idea what their number was and he wasn't about to ask the bastard. Naruto was starting to feel particularly grimy in the air-conditioned hall as all the salty sweat from that day began to harden and itch on his skin. All he wanted was a shower and sleep. That way, he could completely ignore the fact that he was going to be rooming with Sasuke and just fall unconscious until morning.

Sasuke finally stopped at a room at the end of the hall and unlocked the door. He walked in and Naruto followed, quickly noting the two futons on the floor which weren't as spaced out as Naruto would like, but really, what did it matter once he was asleep?

Naruto made a beeline for the bathroom, noting the toilet and the sink, but panicking slightly when he didn't see a shower or bathtub anywhere. In fact, there wasn't any space for anything else in the room.

"I can't believe it," Naruto groaned, his voice getting louder and whinier. "There's no shower!"

Sasuke had only just turned around to look at him when someone knocked on the door. Sasuke, being closest, opened it, revealing Mr. Umino standing on the other side.

"Well, are you boys all settled?" the man asked rhetorically, stepping into the room.

"Mr. Umino," Naruto flailed, barely able to contain his panic. "There's no shower in our bathroom!"

"Actually, that's just what I came up here to tell you two," Mr. Umino replied calmly as Naruto settled down. "None of the rooms have showers because all the patrons are expected to use the traditional onsen downstairs."

"Onsen?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, a public bath," Mr. Umino confirmed. "We're all currently meeting in the lobby to go into the onsen. I came up here to tell you two to change into your complementary yukata and meet everyone else down there in five minutes."

"But – !" Naruto spluttered. He had never been in a public bath before. Each time they had encountered one on their trip, they had all had the option of showering in their hotel rooms, and he had always chosen the shower. He'd never thought he'd ever _not_ have a choice. He would never admit it out loud, but given the taunts he had endured in the schoolyard growing up, either about his whiskers or his height, the very idea of being naked in front of his classmates was terrifying.

"Well, that's all," Mr. Umino interrupted, smiling as he walked away and ignored Naruto's protest. "See you in a few minutes."

Sasuke closed the door, not appearing discomfitted in the least by the news as he turned around, picking up a folded yukata at the foot of one of the futons. Naruto remained rooted to the spot, his mind spinning, until he vaguely realized Sasuke was starting to undress himself. Naruto turned away as if burned, thinking through his options as he heard the tell-tale rustle of clothes behind him.

He really didn't want to go into an onsen. Especially when everyone else would be there. He'd never been naked in front of another person in his life. Being an orphan, he couldn't even remember being bathed by his parents.

On the other hand, he felt really gross, and he'd really wanted to take a shower before going to bed. It was a difficult decision.

"You'd better change into your yukata, dead-last. It's almost time."

Naruto turned around with a scowl to see Sasuke now standing in the striped yukata. Naruto couldn't keep himself from taking the image in, noting that everything on Sasuke's body was covered in tastefully long sleeves and a long stretch of cloth that fell down to his pale ankles. He looked back up at Sasuke's face and was startled to see the teen smirking at him, and he didn't know why, but it made his cheeks flush hot with embarrassment.

"I'm not going…" The words tumbled out of Naruto's mouth before he could stop them, and he only just remembered to tack a swear word at the end as a retort to Sasuke's usual rudeness. "Bastard."

Sasuke raised a thin eyebrow, a clear indication that whatever came out of the teen's mouth next was not going to be something Naruto wanted to hear. "Scared?"

That did it. Naruto was not one to let anyone call him a coward, especially Sasuke. So, really he had no choice for what he did next.

"No!" Naruto retorted loudly, probably louder than was necessary, but he didn't care as he turned around and grabbed the other folded yukata. He began to strip and got all the way to his boxers before he started to get cold feet. He looked back over his shoulder to see Sasuke watching him intensely, but then the bastard grunted unintelligably and turned away toward the opposite wall.

Naruto frowned at him and then sighed as he pulled his boxers off so fast he nearly ripped them on his right foot, and then he pulled the yukata around him swiftly, only to realize that he had no idea how to tie it together around his waist. Not wanting Sasuke to see him, Naruto frantically fiddled with the garment in order to find the strap that should tie it together.

"Idiot."

Naruto froze as warm breath blew over the shell of his right ear and pale hands slipped around his front from the back. He nearly jumped out of his skin when those hands opened the front of his yukata, exposing him for a few moments to the opposite side of the room, before closing it again.

He tried to get angry with Sasuke for invading his personal space, but he couldn't help fixating on the distinct warmth emanating from the taller teen and seeping through the thin material of his yukata, making his back tingle.

"You've got to wear it with the left side over the right or else people will think you're going to a funeral," Sasuke stated from behind him by way of explanation. His voice still sounded haughty and a little exasperated, which made Naruto bristle, but then Sasuke's hands seemed to find the obi that held the yukata together and tied it tight, taking Naruto's breath away for a few seconds.

Naruto whirled around with a scowl only to see Sasuke's back as the boy opened the door and walked out of the room. With little choice, Naruto slipped into some sandals that were sitting at the foot of his futon and followed Sasuke at a distance to the elevator. Neither of them spoke on the way down. Although Naruto made sure to glare at the haughty teen on the other side of the lift every few moments as it made its frustratingly slow descent.

When they got to the lobby, everyone was already there, each of them, boy and girl, wearing the striped complementary yukata. Sasuke and Naruto joined the group, although Naruto broke off the first chance he had to stand by Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji, grateful that at least this allowed him time to be away from Sasuke.

"Hey, fox-face!" Kiba barked, cuffing Naruto affectionately on the side of the head. "Not dead yet, I see."

"Shut up," Naruto muttered, slapping Kiba's hand away, but feeling infinitely better now that he was back with his friends. "So, have you guys ever been in an onsen before?"

Naruto tried to ask the question casually without sounding as nervous as he felt.

"Yeah, I went to that last one in Nara," Kiba replied breezily. "What about you, Shikamaru? I don't think I saw you at that one."

"Nah, I passed that up," Shikamaru answered, looking as unimpressed as ever. "I went to the one in Kobe."

"Oh yeah," Kiba grinned. "Wasn't that the huge one that most of the class went to?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, Chouji was there too."

Chouji, who was standing right beside Shikamaru nodded as well as he munched a bag of chips from god knew where.

"Ah! Are you guys talking about that wonderful spring of youth in Kobe?" Rock Lee bounced into the group, putting an arm around Chouji enthusiastically. "That venue was fantastic, wasn't it? Even Neji went!"

"Yeah," Kiba replied, sniggering a bit as Rock Lee waggled his heinously bushy eyebrows. "I think everyone, even Sasuke, was there except for me and Naruto."

"So I'm the only one who hasn't been in one yet?" Naruto asked, his voice traitorously cracking with his anxiety.

"Nervous?" Kiba needled, looking quite amused at Naruto's expense.

"Nervous? Yeah right!" Naruto retorted, smiling widely in an attempt to show otherwise. "What the hell is there to be nervous about anyway?"

"Exactly!" Kiba clapped him on the back, making Naruto stumble forward with the impact. "You'd only have to be worried if you're _lacking_."

Kiba looked down in the direction of Naruto's crotch to emphasize what he meant when Sai came by right at that moment and added his timely observation. "I'd be worried if I was Naruto, he's got a really small pe-."

Naruto slapped two hands over Sai's mouth before he could complete his sentence, remembering with a slight shock of horror that Sai _had _in fact seen his naked crotch before, completely by accident – and that unfortunate turn of events had involved scissors, a poor aim, a wet floor, and some jello.

"Shut up, Sai!" Naruto growled out, before he released the socially-vapid boy. "You don't know what you're talking about."

But Kiba was already laughing, nearly doubled over and holding a stitch in his side. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Naruto glared at Kiba as Sai walked away nonchalantly, his work apparently done.

"It's not true," Naruto muttered darkly.

Kiba finally caught his breath and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Either way, we'll all find out in a few minutes."

Naruto frowned but didn't say anything, his anxiety doubling. He suddenly wondered if he should just run away and forget about getting clean. After all, it wasn't like he hadn't slept without taking a shower before. He could handle it.

"Well, anywho," Kiba continued, seemingly oblivious to Naruto's growing discomfort. "Word is, Sasuke is pretty well-endowed. No wonder all those girls want him."

Naruto followed Kiba's gaze to where Sasuke was standing, only to see the raven-haired teen surrounded by at least three girls, including Sakura. He looked a bit irritable, but Sakura was currently giggling profusely next to Ino as Karin smiled vapidly in his direction. Sasuke turned his head a bit and caught Naruto's eye, and Naruto hastily looked away.

Naruto scowled, his next words rolling out of his mouth before he could even think to stop them. "Yeah right. I bet I'm bigger than that prick."

Kiba smiled, his eyes glinting. "You wanna bet on that, fox-face?"

"Uh…" Naruto realized he was now between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't back down now, not when he'd already declared it so forcefully. "Yeah…sure!"

"Ooh! The ultimate battle of youth and vigor!" Rock Lee exclaimed, getting entirely too excited about this, in Naruto's opinion. "May the best man win!"

Shikamaru shook his head and kneaded the bridge of his nose, sighing out a nearly silent, "troublesome."

"Okay class," Mr. Umino finally raised his voice above the milling students, and gestured with his arms like an airline steward before take-off. "Girls on the left and boys on the right. Have fun!"

Naruto's heart began beating rapidly against the cage of his ribs as he followed the rest of the boys into their portion of the onsen. He was the last one to enter what looked to be a small locker room with cubby holes lining the walls. There were already some Japanese men there in various states of undress, and Naruto pointedly looked away from them as he followed Kiba to a cubby hole in the corner of the room.

Each cubby hole had a basket with a small towel. Naruto unfolded the towel to see with a sense of disappointment that it was barely big enough to cover up his most important area.

"That towel is used to dry your hair, I think," Kiba informed him from his left, and Naruto instantly regretted looking over at his friend when he realized Kiba was already most assuredly in his birthday suit.

Naruto ripped his gaze away and Kiba laughed.

"Time to get undressed, Naruto," the boy heckled. "Can't back out of our little bet now."

Naruto grimaced and looked around the room hesitantly, noticing that most of the boys had already stuffed their yukata into their cubby holes and left to the bath. But then his eyes locked upon a familiar figure in the far corner of the room, facing away from him and revealing a long expanse of pale skin that didn't leave much to the imagination. Naruto ripped his head away, his face heating up. Damn _bastard_. Naruto had never blushed so much in his life.

"Shit, fox-face, are you blushing?" Kiba sniggered, clapping him on the shoulder.

"No." Naruto scowled and glared hard into the depths of his cubby hole.

"Now or never," Kiba commented amusedly. "You can't stand here all night."

"Shut up, dog-breath," Naruto growled.

He waited until he heard Sasuke shove his belongings into his cubby hole and walk out to the bath, before he finally slid out of his yukata, trying not to care that Kiba was there smirking at him.

For some reason, the potential of Kiba seeing him naked didn't bother him as much as the potential of Sasuke seeing him naked. Maybe it was because he and Kiba were such good friends and he knew what to expect with him, or maybe it was because he didn't want his rival to see something that could give him blackmail material. Not that Naruto really thought there was anything about his body he should be ashamed of. He _had_ been practicing karate after school, 3 days a week, since he was nine, after all. It's not like he was out of shape.

Naruto shook his head against that train of thought as he pushed his yukata and sandals into the cubby hole and snatched the small towel out of the basket. Somehow he knew that if he delved any deeper into the reasons behind his discomfort he would become way more uncomfortable than he was ready to deal with.

"You ready?" Kiba asked with a smirk.

Naruto, making sure to cover his private parts with the heinously small towel, nodded tremulously.

Kiba just laughed, standing with his legs apart and arms crossed over his chest as if he was some sort of conquering hero – a completely nude conquistador. "Remember, you're gonna have to uncover it eventually. You've got a bet to win."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto frowned and made sure to look only at his friend's face. He seriously didn't even wanna know what Kiba looked like anywhere else. His mood was quickly dropping with each passing second. "Let's just get this over with."

Naruto followed Kiba bowleggedly into the bathing area to see most of his male classmates sitting on stools along the walls, scrubbing themselves with the small towels and soap that sat in bottles next to every faucet in the wall. Kiba casually waved at Shikamaru and Chouji, who both waved back. Everyone looked completely comfortable. Naruto spotted Sasuke's telltale pale skin as he sat near the other end of the room, before he looked away, grateful that the teen hadn't seemed to notice or care about Naruto's entrance.

In the middle of the room was the actual bath, steam rising from its surface as some older Japanese men soaked in it. Some of those men turned their heads his way as he entered, clearly taken aback by the color of his hair and skin. This was a reaction he'd gotten used to on the streets of Japan, but it disturbed him more now that he was actually naked. Naruto tried his best to ignore them as one man pointedly stared at his thankfully covered crotch.

Kiba nudged him in the arm with a plastic stool that he had apparently retrieved from a stack of them at the far side of the room, and Naruto took it, following Kiba to a pair of open taps. Naruto mimicked Kiba by placing the stool – which he only just realized was hot _pink _– in front of a faucet, and sitting on it gingerly.

"Now all you do is use these bottles of soap and shampoo to wash yourself," Kiba explained, squeezing out a large dollup of liquid soap from one of the bottles and rubbing it over his chest.

Naruto did what Kiba was doing and began rubbing soap onto his skin. He had to admit, it felt nice to finally begin washing away all that dirt and sweat he had collected throughout the day in Japan's humidity, even if he couldn't really get comfortable with the fact that he was currently naked in front of a bunch of guys he knew and even some he didn't.

Kiba turned on his tap and warm water flowed out into a drain in the floor. He used his towel as a rag, soaking up the water and washing the soap off. Naruto did the same, using his own tiny towel to wash the soap suds off of his skin. He did have to admit, it felt good and strangely refreshing.

"And then you just use the shampoo!" Kiba exclaimed excitedly, as if he was about to get on a ride at a theme park. He took shampoo from the other bottle and rubbed it into his hair, letting it get up a good lather.

Naruto did the same, closing his eyes as the shampoo began to drip down his forehead. He massaged the shampoo into his scalp and for a moment he felt really, truly relaxed. He began to think that maybe this whole onsen thing wasn't so bad.

Suddenly, however, a torrent of hot water rushed over his head and he spluttered, opening his eyes to see Kiba laughing at him with a bucket held in his other hand.

Then again, maybe it was.

Naruto punched him in the arm as hard as he could, before wiping the soapy water out of his eyes. "Asshole!"

Kiba just rubbed his arm and smiled, ignoring Naruto's foul mood and the fact that he may have been the cause of it. "Now that your hair is clean, time to go into the hotspring."

With that, Kiba stood up and kicked his stool out of the way, making his way to the bath in the middle of the room.

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was fully free of shampoo, before standing up himself and forgetting all about his towel. He regretted that the moment he realized everyone was already in the bath and staring at him, Kiba pointing at his crotch as everyone else – including Neji, Gaara, and Sai – assessed him. Even Sasuke was looking over at him through the steam.

"I told you he had a small penis," Sai deadpanned, smiling in that creepy, fake way that only he could pull off.

Naruto flushed considerably, but if it was because of intense embarrassment or intense anger he initially couldn't tell.

"Well, the jury's still out, in my opinion." Naruto could just hear Kiba's voice over the sound of rushing blood in his ears. "I mean, he could be a _grower_."

Rock Lee was nodding his head sagely in agreement. "Yes, it may look small now, but who knows what it's like when it is full of youthful vigor!"

That did it.

"Kibaaaa, you _asshole_!"

Realizing that he had no more dignity to protect anymore, Naruto practically leapt into the bath, tackling Kiba and pushing them both into the water. Naruto punched aimlessly, hitting Kiba a few times underneath the water before arms wrapped underneath his armpits and pulled him up to the surface again. When he broke the surface, Naruto saw Kiba coughing and spluttering across from him. Naruto felt no small amount of satisfaction when he noticed Kiba's lip was split.

"Jeez, Naruto," Kiba wiped at his bruised cheek. He wasn't laughing anymore. "It was just a joke."

"Yeah, well…_screw_ you," Naruto retorted heatedly, suddenly feeling more incensed and ashamed than he'd ever felt with his best friend. In fact, he felt betrayed.

Kiba frowned, looking more surprised than anything else, and Naruto scowled, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place before he jerked out of Shikamaru's hold.

"I'm going to bed," Naruto muttered, before hoisting himself out of the bath. The silence in the room was oppressive as he made his way to the locker room.

He pulled his yukata out of the cubby hole with more force than was necessary and flung the sandals that were sitting on top over to the other side of the room. Naruto cursed and walked over to pick them up.

He was angry at Kiba, but worst of all, he was angry at himself for being as embarrassed and as irritable as he was. He should have been prepared for Kiba's usual pranks, but he had honestly thought Kiba would lay off if he was truly having a tough time of it.

Obviously he had forgotten that Kiba was as dense as a brick.

Naruto pulled on the yukata and once again struggled with the obi around his waist, cursing yet again when he realized the flaps were on right over left instead of left over right.

"Still being a moron, I see."

Suddenly pale hands were at his waist again, situating the sides of the garment correctly and tying the obi tightly from behind before letting go. Naruto frowned and leaned his forehead against the cubby hole in front of him. He really didn't need this right now.

"Yeah, I'm a moron. Happy?" Naruto muttered bitterly, finally turning around to face Sasuke with a glare. "Now you can go gloat about it, along with everything else."

Sasuke only stared down at him from the slight height advantage he enjoyed. His face was expressionless but his eyes were searching. Naruto suddenly got the strong impression that the other boy was pitying him.

Naruto frowned and stepped into his sandals, pushing passed Sasuke and making his way out of the locker room. He couldn't even gather up the nerve to be angry at the bastard anymore. He didn't even want to deal with it. This had probably been one of the worst days of his life and he wanted to be unconscious before anything else could go wrong. Everything was always better in the morning anyway.

Naruto walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the doors to open. He bristled a bit when Sasuke stopped beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto's voice sounded rough even to his own ears.

Sasuke turned his head to look at him, unperturbed by Naruto's tone. "I've got the key to the room."

"Hmph," Naruto grunted, feeling stupider by the minute.

They both stood there in silence after that until the tell-tale _ding! _sounded and the elevator doors slid open.

They rode up in equal silence, Naruto once again trying to look away from Sasuke's image and failing as it reflected back at him from every angle.

When they got to their room, Naruto followed Sasuke in and collapsed on the futon next to the window. He rolled to his side, away from the other futon as Sasuke slid into it, rustling the covers.

Eventually, Sasuke clicked out the lamp-light and the room went dark, only silver moonlight washing in through the window.

Naruto closed his eyes but his mind was racing and he couldn't fall asleep. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, noticing belatedly that Sasuke's breathing hadn't evened out either.

Naruto sighed and turned his head to look over at his room mate. Sasuke was on his back as well, his black hair parted away from his face and his dark eyes tracing patterns on the ceiling. Naruto couldn't help noticing how the moonlight lit up the edges of his profile, making his pale skin glow.

Naruto looked away quickly after that, realizing that he had been staring.

It was strange, but he'd spent so much time worrying about rooming with Sasuke, thinking that the entire situation would ruin his day, when, in the end, Sasuke had been the least of his problems. In fact, if he could be totally honest with himself, Sasuke had actually helped him today more than anyone else.

Naruto suddenly found himself wondering if maybe he hadn't been overblowing his hatred of Sasuke, simply because he'd been envious over Sakura. Maybe he'd been blinded all along to who Sasuke really was. Maybe, if Naruto hadn't been so obsessed with getting Sakura, he would have realized Sasuke would make a really good friend.

Sure, Sasuke was still an arrogant asshole who couldn't seem to stop insulting Naruto whenever he had the chance, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends, right? After all, Kiba insulted Naruto all the time, and even though Naruto could get really angry at him for that, he knew in the end that they would always be really good friends. Even now when he still felt a little angry, he knew that tomorrow they would eventually make up and everything would be all right. That's just how they were, and it helped that Naruto was notoriously forgiving.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke again, noticing he was still awake.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto voice was louder than he'd expected it to be, almost shattering the still atmosphere in the room, and he cringed.

Sasuke turned his head to face him. "What?"

Naruto bit his lip, wondering how he should phrase what he wanted to say without sounding like a complete idiot. He could feel those black eyes trained on him and somehow it made him feel nervous.

"You're…" Naruto began, licking his lips again, which were suddenly dry. "You're not as much of a bastard as I thought."

One of Sasuke's eyebrows twitched upward for a moment, before he looked back up at the ceiling. "Hn."

Naruto smiled and turned onto his side, looking out the window. He was pretty sure Sasuke had taken it as the compliment it was meant to be.

He yawned and his eyes suddenly felt heavy. He finally allowed sleep to overtake him, and halfway through the night, he unconsciously rolled onto his side and faced Sasuke, one arm stretched out across the space between their futons with a small smile tugging at his lips.

…

End of Part I.

AN: I know, this is crap, right? I totally tried to write a one-shot but it grew into a behemoth and I had to cut it into two. It was really just supposed to be an exercise to get me back into writing after spending so much time playing video games and neglecting my fics.

Yeah..._that_worked out.


	2. Part II: I Think I Like You

Disclaimer: Do Not Own. Do Not Want. You cannot make me.

AN: I rewrote this part for reasons. Enjoy.

Field Trip

Part II: I Think I Like You

The next morning Naruto awoke to see Sasuke standing over him, fully dressed in a black sleeveless hoodie with black shorts. Instead of feeling irritated or angry at the sight, Naruto felt strangely content to see the big jerk.

"Five more minutes," Naruto mumbled and turned over, but then a foot shoved him in the stomach and he winced, glaring up at the black-haired teen in annoyance. "Ow, bastard! What the hell?"

Sasuke's usual frown grew and his thin eyebrows knitted in irritation. "Mr. Umino already came by. We're supposed to get up for breakfast downstairs."

Naruto sat up in his bed, still feeling sleep-deprived and bleary. "What time is it?"

Sasuke glanced away from him, looking strangely uncomfortable, his usually pale cheeks slightly pink, before replying, studiously avoiding Naruto with his gaze. "It's 9 am."

Wondering at Sasuke's strange behavior, Naruto moved to get up and realized that his obi was untied with his yukata half-way open, revealing more than he would have liked given that his covers were currently in a small muddled heap at the foot of his futon. Naruto could feel the blood heating his face all the way down to his chest as he pulled the yukata tightly around him and stumbled up to stand.

"Uh…I-I'll just get ready then!" Naruto stuttered, scrounging through his luggage and pulling out the things he wanted to wear before making his way into the tiny bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

Naruto looked at himself in the mirror above the sink and realized that he was still flushed as he pulled his boxers and jeans on, followed by an orange tank top. He brushed his teeth quickly, and splashed cold water on his heated cheeks, before he stepped out of the bathroom and slipped his shoes on. Sasuke was already waiting for him at the door, and they left the room together, side-by-side.

When they got down to the lobby, they entered an alcove to the left where there was a traditional Japanese restaurant with low tables and cushions instead of chairs. Half the class was already there, including all of the girls, but Naruto didn't see Kiba yet. Without really thinking about it, Naruto followed Sasuke and sat beside him.

Sasuke didn't seem to be bothered by it, as if it was a completely normal occurance and they both sat in comfortable silence, Sasuke sipping some tea, but otherwise looking bored as usual.

Naruto noticed belatedly that Ino and Sakura had sat down across from him and Sasuke, and both of the girls were staring at them as if he and Sasuke had both grown an extra head.

As always, Sakura looked simply stunning in a designer, turquoise spaghetti strap top with matching necklace, but for some reason, Naruto didn't feel as entranced by the sight as he usually did.

Either way, Naruto smiled and waved at Sakura with a cheery, "Good morning, Sakura!"

"Good morning, Naruto," she acknowledged, but she looked a little taken aback as she glanced between him and Sasuke with a slightly suspicious look.

Naruto frowned a bit, but he didn't dwell on it too hard. Was it really that strange for him to be sitting next to Sasuke? Sure, they'd hated each other – well, at least Naruto had hated Sasuke, now he wasn't so sure how mutual the feeling was – since they were in preschool, but that didn't mean things couldn't change…eventually.

After all, it had _only _been fourteen years, at most!

Sakura eventually looked at Sasuke and smiled brightly, her voice saccharine sweet as she greeted him. "Good morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke only nodded his head slightly, not saying anything, and Naruto could tell the near lack of greeting hurt Sakura by the way her smile became strained. Although that only lasted for a second, before she looked down at her menu with forced interest.

A little frustrated with Sasuke for making Sakura sad, Naruto glanced over at the teen only to see him staring blankly out the window across from them, sipping his tea again.

A group of people entered the eating area and Naruto recognized Kiba at the front of the pack. Kiba, as usual, was joking about something or other as Shikamaru walked beside him looking tired. Chouji, Sai, and Lee were behind them, the first two looking positively bedridden, but Lee, with his wide, saucer-like eyes, looked a little too awake.

Suddenly, Naruto didn't know if he wanted to make up with Kiba yet, given the fact that the boy seemed to be unaffected by their fight the night before. Admittedly, it was childish, but Naruto's pride still felt heavily bruised.

Finally, Kiba seemed to notice Naruto was already there at one of the tables and he had the grace to look guilty. Naruto frowned at him, but didn't say anything, even though he knew they were going to make up anyway. It didn't hurt to make the teen squirm a little.

Kiba said something to Shikamaru, before the group sat down at the other end of the table. Kiba kept on walking, pushing past Neji and Gaara who were already seated at the middle of the table across from Hinata, Ten-Ten, and Temari, as he made his way to Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto…" Kiba began, looking sheepish as he moved to the opposite side of the table, between Ino and Sakura, to look at him properly, face to face. "I'm sorry about..."

Kiba's voice trailed off and he slid his gaze between Naruto and Sasuke much the way Sakura had earlier. "Dude, do you know who you're sitting next to?"

Naruto frowned and shared a look with Sasuke, which was strange in and of itself – after all, since when had he and Sasuke ever_ shared_ anything? – but then he shook his head. For whatever reason, it didn't feel weird, even though he knew it should have. In fact, it felt strangely natural, like they'd been doing it for years. "Yeah, Kiba."

Kiba stared at him, looking completely befuddled, which was actually pretty amusing. "And…you're okay with this?"

"Sure, why not?" Naruto shrugged, gulping down some water and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Use a washcloth, moron," Sasuke interrupted, pointing at a rolled up, heated towel next to Naruto's chopsticks, left there for just that purpose.

"Why, asshole?" Naruto retorted, frowning a bit, but not really feeling as irritated as he usually would have. "It's just water."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, before taking another sip of his tea, and Naruto smiled, chuckling a bit to himself.

He hadn't expected Sasuke to relent so easily. He didn't know the king of all jerks was actually such a push-over.

"Okay, seriously." Kiba started backing away from the table and pointing at Naruto incredulously. "Who are you, and what have you done with my pal, Naruto?"

"Knock it off, Kiba," Naruto retorted as he rolled his eyes, but a smile was tugging at his lips. "It's still me. Aliens haven't managed to abduct your best friend."

"So…you're still my best friend, then?" Kiba's expression turned hopeful, and Naruto snorted.

"You may have tried to sabotage it with your stupidity last night, but we both know it'll take more than you being a dick to end this friendship of ours," Naruto replied, grinning.

Kiba laughed, looking truly relieved. "Great!"

But then he leant over the table, making an irritated Sakura and Ino have to scooch out of the way, and his voice lowered conspiratorally. "But if you're not trying to punish me, what are you doing shmoozing with _the enemy_?"

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who was watching their exchange with mild interest. The thing was, Naruto didn't really know why it had suddenly become no big deal. For some reason, he had gained a whole new perspective on his rival from the night before, and now hanging out with Sasuke just seemed normal.

Almost abnormally so.

"I don't know…" Naruto still felt a little weird talking about his change of heart with Sasuke listening in. So he just hedged the question. "What does it matter anyway?"

Kiba looked confused, glancing between Naruto and Sasuke.

"And _you_," Kiba continued, pointing at Sasuke now. "You're okay with this?"

Sasuke only looked over at him blandly, as if to say, _does it look like I care?_ "Hn."

"Fine," Kiba stated while waving his hands in front of him, as if he was concluding some sort of debate. "Do whatever you guys want, but I still think your both crazy."

That end of the table delved into a slightly awkward silence after that. Sasuke went back to sipping his tea and Sakura and Ino sent each other puzzled glances. Obviously, like Kiba, they still couldn't believe that Sasuke and Naruto's eternal rivalry had seemingly vanished over night. Naruto supposed he couldn't blame them. After all, it was kind of sudden and without warning, but in his head it still made a lot of sense.

He never realized how much energy he'd spent on hating the bastard. Now that he didn't, he felt strangely rejuvenated and care-free. Life suddenly looked like it was taking a turn for the better.

But, of course, that didn't mean he was giving up on Sakura.

"Anyway," Kiba finally broke in, scratching the outside of his nose in habit. "Me and the guys found out there's a sake bar in the village that doesn't card. So we're all going there tonight after we finish touring the temple. You know, after Mr. Umino and Mr. Hatake have gone to bed. You wanna come?"

"Sure!" Naruto replied enthusiastically. He and Kiba had been trying to drink some real Japanese sake ever since they'd gotten into Japan, but they'd always been kicked out of bars before they could even take a sip.

"What about your new friend?" Kiba smirked, looking over at Sasuke and crossing his arms over his chest confrontationally.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke enquiringly, and the boy stared at them both for a moment before shrugging.

"He's in!" Naruto translated.

Kiba sent Naruto a strange look.

"What?" Naruto bristled. Why was everyone giving him those weird looks now?

"Well," Kiba shrugged it off, but he looked a little miffed about something. "Since you two can apparently read each other's minds now. I'm sure we can all have a wonderful time together getting plastered tonight."

Naruto frowned at Kiba's sarcastic tone, but decided not to get too ruffled about it. "You watch, Kiba. I'm gonna drink you under the table!"

"Bring it on, fox-face," Kiba challenged, now holding a smirk of his own. "But you should know that I'm part Irish!"

"No, you're not!" Naruto retorted, laughing now at Kiba's fake scandalized expression.

"Hey, Kiba, what about us?" Ino interrupted, glancing over at Sasuke before placing her hard gaze squarely back at Kiba. "Aren't the girls invited?"

"Sure." Kiba waggled his eyebrows suggestively and did a mock bow. "After all, it's not a party without girls."

"_Right_." Ino looked unimpressed, and her tone became serious after she shared a look with Sakura, who glanced at Sasuke before whispering and giggling into Ino's ear. "We're coming, but don't for a second think you can take advantage of us, dog-boy."

"I wouldn't dream of it, _ladies_!" Kiba smirked, before waving at Naruto and walking away to join Shikamaru at the other end of the table where there were a couple of open seat-cushions. "See y'all tonight then, and remember, you all have to wear your yukata. It's tradition!"

Naruto looked over at Sakura after Kiba sat down at the other end of the table and gave him a thumbs up. He felt a rush of excitement about the night ahead. He was sure to have more of a chance with her if she had had a few drinks in her. Not that he was going to take advantage of her. He could never be that type of guy, of course, but he couldn't see how having a party with plenty of drinks couldn't work in his favor. Maybe if they were both having fun, Sakura would let him buy her some refreshments and accompany her on a walk. Naruto smiled at the prospect. Maybe tonight was his chance to really turn things around.

This was it. Naruto smiled goofily to himself, missing the way Sakura's expression looked disturbed as she glanced at him.

Yes, tonight was the night!

…..

"See? I did it!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and admiring the striped yukata he had managed to put on correctly.

"Congratulations, you can dress yourself," was the sarcastic reply from the bedroom.

Naruto crossed his arms and huffed, stomping out of the bathroom and sticking his tongue out at Sasuke childishly.

"You just wait, bastard," Naruto boasted, his voice becoming louder. "Because tonight, I'm gonna get Sakura, the most beautiful girl in school, and you're gonna be all alone!"

Sasuke just shook his head and frowned, stepping into his sandals. "You can have her, moron."

Naruto frowned. "What? She not good enough for you?"

Sasuke's frown grew, pausing and actually looking contemplative, before finally replying. "She's not my type."

Naruto pouted, his tone turning a little bitter. "I don't get it. She's beautiful and she practically throws herself all over you! How can you _not _want her?"

Sasuke actually sighed, looking more than a little irritated. "Idiot, do you _want _me to ask her out?"

"No!" Naruto retorted almost instantly. "It just doesn't make any sense! _You_ don't make any sense! I mean, if you don't like Sakura, who _do _you like?" Naruto's voice became bitter again as he muttered. "It's not like you couldn't have any girl you wanted."

It felt weird to admit that to the boy he had been rivals with since preschool. After all, it was difficult to acknowledge that the other teen was more popular than Naruto could ever be, after years of trying to convince himself that Sasuke just got all the girls because they couldn't see how darn cool Naruto was. But Naruto had become a lot more open with Sasuke since the night before and they'd even spent the day walking around the temple together with the rest of the guys as if that had been what they'd always done. They'd talked about a surprising variety of things and even though Sasuke wasn't much of a conversationalist, Naruto didn't mind. He talked enough for the both of them.

It had all been oddly comfortable. Like Naruto could tell him anything.

Sasuke stared at him with an odd expression, before switching his gaze past Naruto's left shoulder to look out the window to the night sky beyond. "Why do you care who I like?"

"I don't know!" Naruto swung his hands into the air exasperatedly at Sasuke's avoidance of the issue. "You're a guy, a senior in high school with girls throwing themselves at your feet! It just doesn't make sense that you've never gone out with any of them, ever! It's just not normal!"

Sasuke just frowned, before looking back at Naruto again. "I don't like any of those girls."

"Then, do you like _anyone_?" Naruto asked, feeling like the conversation was going around in circles and getting frustrated by it.

Sasuke's brows knit together, still looking irritated as he pushed a hand through his bangs in order to get them out of his eyes, but he answered. "Yes."

"Who?" Naruto pressed, feeling strangely excited about this revelation. After all, this was information at least half of the school population would crave to know. Naruto ignored the disturbing fact that he found himself wanting to know too – just because.

"Hn." Sasuke sent him a look that clearly told Naruto he thought he was stupid, before turning away and putting his hand on the door. "Whatever. It's time to go. Everyone's probably already there."

Naruto deflated. "Fine. Be a bastard," he said as he passed Sasuke out the open door. "But I'm not gonna give up until I find out who it is. You can count on that!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, as they made their way to the elevator. "Don't be an idiot."

Naruto entered the elevator first, waiting for Sasuke to get in, before retorting cheekily. "Well, according to you, it's too late for that."

Sasuke frowned, but didn't reply, and Naruto smiled.

…

The sake bar was a relatively small, dimly lit establishment and full of people when Naruto and Sasuke entered. Mostly older Japanese men were seated at the wooden bar, while the younger patrons sat at tables and booths.

Naruto squinted for a bit before spotting Kiba at a table in the far end of the room. Naruto waved when Kiba caught his eye and made his way through the bar, Sasuke following him at his own pace.

"You finally made it, eh?" Kiba's voice rose over the general noise. "I was beginning to think we'd have to send the search dogs after you!"

Kiba pulled out a wooden chair for Naruto and he sat down across from Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, and Sai, but not before scooching a chair from another table in for Sasuke. He missed the odd look Kiba sent him as Sasuke sat down.

Naruto nodded to the others, who were all drinking what looked to be sake in small white cups, except for Rock Lee who understandably remained alcohol free, a small tell-tale white sake bottle at each of their places.

"I'll get you a drink!" Kiba patted him on the back and Naruto nearly face-planted into the wooden table surface in front of him, before he smiled in agreement.

Kiba called out to a young Japanese woman, wearing a yellow kimono, as she passed, speaking to her in broken Japanese before she nodded and walked away to the bar.

"Do you want anything?" Naruto looked over at Sasuke and asked, but the teen was already getting something from a particularly voluptuous woman in another yellow kimono. She was batting her eyelashes at Sasuke flirtatiously as she poored his sake delicately with a slip of her bare wrist. Sasuke seemed to be bored with the attention, simply nodding when the waitress was done.

Naruto frowned and looked away just in time to see another glass get slapped down a little haphazardly in front of him, another waitress pooring his sake quickly before leaving the table. Feeling slightly morose, Naruto recklessly brought the cup to his lips and drank all the contents in one hasty gulp.

Naruto coughed a bit as the warm liquid slid down his throat and vaporized up into his airways, before he slammed the cup back onto the table, making it jiggle a little so that Sai had to stop pooring his own sake for fear of splashing it all over the table top until the table stilled once again.

"Whoa, fox-face," Kiba remarked, grinning over at him, but looking a little surprised. "No need to drink so violently!"

Naruto ignored the comment and finally took a look around, noticing that he couldn't see Sakura anywhere.

"The girls aren't here yet," Shikamaru commented, clearly reading his disappointed expression correctly.

"Yeah, I bet they're doing their hair or nails…or whatever chicks do when they're getting ready to go out," Kiba observed crudely, before swinging his attention to Naruto. "They should be here soon though, given that you took nearly as long. Weren't doing your nails, were ya?"

Naruto punched him in the arm in retort, just in time to look past Kiba's shoulder to see Ino and Sakura, followed by Temari, Ten-Ten, and Hinata, walk into the bar.

Naruto's eyes followed Sakura as the girls spotted them and made their way through the packed room toward them. Since their table was full, the girls had to choose a table nearby.

Naruto waved to Sakura enthusiastically to which she only nodded, turning her emerald gaze to Sasuke and smiling sweetly as she came up to the side of their table.

She stood between Naruto and Sasuke, but she placed a pale hand boldly on Sasuke's shoulder, greeting him. "Hello, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked a little uncomfortable as her hand stayed perched on his shoulder, but he nodded anyway, before turning back toward his drink.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto interrupted, seeing this as his chance. She turned her gaze toward him, looking decidedly less cheerful. "Do you want me to get you a drink? Some…sake?"

At first it seemed as though she would refuse his offer but then she seemed to think better of it, glancing down at Sasuke before accepting Naruto's offer. "Sure."

Naruto smiled widely, almost not believing his ears, before turning around and calling for a waitress. A few moments later, a woman in a kimono bustled over to take his order. Sakura went back to sit at a chair next to the other girls, looking a little sullen as Ino whispered in her ear. Eventually, the waitress brought Sakura the sake Naruto had ordered and Naruto smiled at her, she smiled back, but it looked forced.

He only half listened to Kiba as the boy talked to the group at length about something funny that had happened to him back in middle school, and watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye as she sipped her sake and chatted with the girls around her. He took gulps of his own sake, trying to get over his sudden nervousness.

This was it. After she finished her drink, he'd go over there and ask her out on a walk. He knew she'd wanted Sasuke to do the same, but he also knew Sasuke wouldn't, and so Naruto would be there in Sasuke's place. He would be the rebound guy. It wasn't the best position to have, but it was better than nothing in his opinion.

Five minutes later, she finished her sake, and Naruto stood up from the table abruptly. Kiba stopped talking and stared between Naruto and Sakura, grinning when he understood what was going on and clapping Naruto on the arm. "Go get her, foxy."

Naruto grinned a little tremulously, and glanced back at Sasuke for a moment, whose expression was inscrutable, before he walked over to Sakura. The group of girls around her stopped talking altogether and were now staring at him.

He stood beside her, his voice a little shakier than he would have liked as he asked, "Will you go on a walk with me, Sakura?"

She looked a little taken aback, again glancing over at Sasuke and then her friends. Ino was already shaking her head, but the other girls didn't give their opinion one way or another. Temari, in particular, looked like she didn't care either way as she took a long gulp of sake.

Finally, Sakura decided, and looked up at Naruto to nod her assent.

Naruto grinned brilliantly, wondering if he was dreaming as he put out his hand for her to take. She took it hesitantly and he helped her stand up. As he led her toward the door, he grinned as he passed the boy's table where Kiba was giving him a thumbs up and Sai was smiling at him vacantly, but when his gaze slid to Sasuke he noticed the teen was frowning slightly, looking morose. It made Naruto feel a little strange, almost guilty as he and Sakura walked out the door of the bar.

Once they got outside into the pleasant night air, Naruto turned to Sakura as she pulled back her hand. "So…Sakura…which way do you wanna – ?"

"Look, Naruto," she interrupted, looking pained as she glanced everywhere but at his face. "I'm not doing this because I like you."

Naruto frowned as she finally looked up into his eyes, and his heart sank. "_Okay_…"

"You know I like Sasuke, don't you?" She continued, wringing her hands together as if she was cold or anxious.

"Yeah," Naruto's voice became a little hoarse, and he cleared it in embarrassment, placing his empty hands by his side. "But, that doesn't mean you can't like me too, right? You know, after you get to know me."

"It doesn't work like that, Naruto." And for the first time, she looked genuinely sorry.

"But, he treats you so badly," Naruto murmured, looking down at her hands which were now fiddling with the obi on her yukata.

Sakura sighed then. "He's not so bad. I can take it, because I…I love him."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked up at her face, seeing the determined expression crossing her pretty features and knowing at once that she truly must have felt strongly for Sasuke. "Oh."

A pall of silence fell over them after that, Sakura looking down at her feet as Naruto looked past her toward another crop of lit, wooden buildings down the path.

Sakura finally shifted, looking up at him again as she turned her body back toward the bar. "I think I'm gonna go back in." She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "Okay?"

Naruto finally nodded. "Yeah."

She nodded and he watched her walk back into the bar, the door closing behind her. He stood outside for a bit, feeling more hurt than he was willing to admit, because at that moment, he knew it was really over. He really didn't have a chance. He'd spent so much of his life chasing after her, and now he knew that it had all been the biggest waste of time. He wiped at his stinging eyes with the back of his hand.

He couldn't even believe he was crying, and he scowled at himself.

Thankfully, the tears were short lived, and once his face was completely dry, Naruto decided to go back into the bar. He wanted to take Kiba up on his earlier offer and get totally plastered.

…

"Hit me," Naruto muttered like a seasoned shot drinker and Kiba poured him another cup of sake.

"Are you sure you can take it?" Kiba crowed, already a little drunk himself as he spilled some of the precious sake onto the table top.

Naruto just pulled his head back and swallowed the cup-full of sake like a shot – the fourth cup of the night. His vision was already beginning to blur as he slammed the cup back down, wiping at his mouth where some sake had dribbled out one side. "Again."

"You asked for it!" Kiba grinned, ever the enabler has he poured more sake into Naruto's waiting cup. "I'm still gonna beat you. You're gonna be out like a light."

Naruto only pulled back another shot, ignoring how the room was already spinning a little. He didn't really have a high tolerance for alcohol given that he was underage and had never been much of a drinker to begin with. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kiba drown his own shot.

Kiba frowned as he upended his bottle of sake. "We need more." He turned around and practically hollered at a passing waitress. "More sake, onegai shimasu!"

The bottle was replenished and Naruto's cup was refilled, it's contents falling almost instantly down his tingling throat. Ten minutes later, he could barely make out the features of Shikamaru, Chouji, Sai, or Lee's faces as he squinted across at them. His tongue felt a little numb as he attempted to ask for more sake, and he ignored the gaze practically burning into his side as he downed the next shot. Sasuke could disapprove of him all he wanted, Naruto thought within his alcohol-muddled mind. It was all the bastard's fault anyway.

Before he could take another shot, a pale hand clasped onto his wrist, pulling his hand away from his cup. Naruto glared at the instigator, but Sasuke wouldn't back down, a frown pulling his lips and his eyebrows knitted as if he was concerned or something. "That's enough, dead-last."

"I gotta beat Kiba…bashturd," Naruto retorted clumsily, attempting to pull his wrist out of Sasuke's tightening grip and failing.

"No," Sasuke replied slowly, as if speaking to a child. "You don't."

"Yeah!" Naruto replied, getting a little angry now as he struggled to free his wrist. "I do!"

Naruto gave up with his right hand and clasped his cup of sake with his left. He wasn't ambidextrous and he was drunk, so the task was admittedly difficult and clumsy, but he managed to pour most of the sake down his throat, ignoring how some of it splashed around his mouth and trickled down his chin.

Suddenly, his shoulders were grabbed and he was scrunched against a hard chest. Arms slid around his torso and locked around his own arms, so that he couldn't move them or sit back up. Naruto dazzedly frowned up at his captor, noting the incredibly smooth, pale skin of his throat and the usual irritated expression on Sasuke's face as the teen looked down at him.

Naruto's world began to spin a bit faster as he contemplated the visage in front of him, thoughts completely muddled as his heart sped up and his mouth became dry from lack of sake.

"No more," Sasuke muttered, and his breath washed over Naruto's face. It smelled like sake too.

"You know why those girls love youu sho much Shashuke?" Naruto asked, tripping over his heavy tongue. "Coz yer shoooo perty."

Suddenly Naruto felt the urge to giggle at his words, and he did so.

Sasuke looked slightly confused and then exasperated, but Naruto ignored it, feeling like he was onto something as the room spun around them. "Thas why I never had a chance…yer like…the pertiest guy ever. Thas why girls jusht want ta fall at yer ankles…and kish them!"

"_What?_" Kiba exclaimed, and he started laughing from behind Naruto's back, his words a little slurred as well. "Man, the kid is totally wasted! Oh my god."

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, before he released Naruto and let him fall back into his chair. Then he got up and pulled Naruto out of his seat from behind. "I'm taking you back to the inn."

Naruto could barely protest as his legs flopped out from under him. Sasuke pulled one of Naruto's arms around his shoulders, and supported him as they made their way out of the bar. Once outside again, Naruto nearly tripped but he swung an arm around Sasuke's neck to stop the fall, setting his cheek against the teen's warm collar bone beneath the thin cloth of his yukata.

Naruto giggled a bit as he continued to stumble, nearly making Sasuke fall at one point, and Sasuke actually scowled, but he was able to right them and keep on walking.

"Shashuke…Shaucekay…Shaucegay…" Naruto giggled again at his rendition. "Hey! Did joo know yer name sounds like Sauce Gay?"

Sasuke didn't answer him, but Naruto didn't care. He was entirely too amused with his important discovery. "Yer like a gay sauce! Sho…that means yer happy!" Suddenly Naruto's expression scrunched at his thought-process. "But yer never happy…and yer not sauce…"

Sasuke only grunted, and Naruto could feel it rumble in Sasuke's chest and against his cheek. "I think yer parents mis…mislabeled you, Shashuke."

Naruto giggled again at his own joke. Everything was suddenly so funny. He should have gotten drunk more often!

When they finally hobbled into their room, Sasuke having to do some complicated acrobatics in order to slide the key card through the door and also hold Naruto up at the same time, Sasuke dropped Naruto unceremoniously onto his futon.

Naruto fell with another giggle, but suddenly felt a little cold, like there was a draft from somewhere. He shivered involuntarily, before giggling again.

The room wasn't spinning so much as Sasuke stared down at him, frowning and going pink in the face, before he got down on his knees beside Naruto's futon and pulled at Naruto's yukata. Naruto giggled, but then looked down to see that it had opened again and Sasuke was trying to close it. No wonder it had been cold.

Suddenly, Sasuke's hand brushed against Naruto's bare stomach and Naruto gasped, involuntarily arching into the touch as it spread a warm tingling sensation down his abdomen. He looked up and realized Sasuke had stilled completely, watching him with wide eyes.

The look on Sasuke's face was beginning to unnerve Naruto as the room stopped spinning. The shock of Sasuke's touch seemed to sober him a bit, pushing the comfortable drunken fog out of his mind and grounding him.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto murmured in question, but the teen didn't move. He just hovered there, staring down at Naruto as if he was a deer caught in the head lights, his rosy lips parted invitingly as his breathing shallowed. Naruto glanced down at them, suddenly wondering if they tasted like the sake on his breath, and found with very little shock that he wanted to find out. It seemed natural, as if he'd always wanted to know, but just hadn't noticed the desire before.

He raised a trembling hand, and Sasuke watched it, before Naruto buried his fingers in the dark hair at the nape of his neck, fascinated by the soft feel of it. He swallowed and tugged a bit. Sasuke's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away, allowing Naruto to pull him closer. Naruto stopped when he could taste the stoic teen's breath on his tongue, their faces only centimeters apart. He could see each individual eyelash on Sasuke's lids as he stared back at him, his eyes dark and searching.

"Idiot…you…" Sasuke breathed, his voice hoarse. He looked a bit desperate, his stoic mask unravelling.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered comfortingly, testing the name as it rolled off his tongue. Sasuke didn't say anything, but his breathing hitched a bit. Naruto licked his suddenly dry lips and clenched his fingers against the back of Sasuke's neck, pulling him forward that much more as his heart rate picked up. He felt nervous suddenly as blood rushed through his veins and heated his cheeks. He realized he wanted this, but he didn't want to think about how or why. He just wanted it to happen.

"Idiot…you're drunk," Sasuke muttered, resisting Naruto's tugs, but not enough to pull more than centimeters away.

"I'm not," Naruto denied, feeling surprisingly sober, but less nervous than he should have. It was an odd combination, but he liked it.

"Hn." Sasuke sounded doubtful, but he still didn't pull away and his eyes were searching again. For the first time, Naruto could see the hope in his gaze, the unexpected warmth, and it made him tingle all the way down to his toes.

With a burst of clarity, he suddenly understood why Sasuke had said he didn't like any of the girls at school. It was so obvious now, and just like that, it made Naruto realize how stupid he'd been. How much torture must he have inadvertantly put him through as he chased after Sakura, a girl he'd never had a chance with. A girl who he barely knew. Had it all been a sham? No, he knew he'd liked her early on. She was his first crush, the most beautiful girl at school, but she'd always been infatuated with Sasuke and Naruto had been jealous. Over the years, that jealousy had grown into a heated competition – possibly one-sided, Naruto could admit now – but maybe it was at that point that getting Sakura had been more about sticking it to Sasuke than actually gaining her affections. After all, he'd always known it was a lost cause, he'd just never wanted to admit it. He'd never wanted to admit he'd lost to his most hated rival, the boy who had everything.

It was selfish really, and the entire time, he'd known in the back of his mind that his pursuit of Sakura was a constant annoyance for her. He'd gotten so used to competing for her attention in order to show up the bastard that he'd stopped thinking about what he was doing to her as well. No wonder she finally told him off, and the worst was that she'd done it so kindly. She could have been so much more cruel, but she was just awkward instead.

He'd been so blind. Sasuke was right. He was an idiot.

"Naruto…" Sasuke murmured, for the first time sounding uncertain as he stared down at him.

Naruto realized neither of them had moved for the entire time he'd been thinking and he blinked. Something warm rubbed his cheek and he realized it was Sasuke's thumb. At some point, Sasuke had cupped his jaw with his hand. Naruto breathed in, wondering what he'd been doing all this time with his life. His obsession with Sakura seemed like such a waste, and he was only realizing it now as he stared up into Sasuke's eyes, easily picking out the anxiety and concern, things that had been hidden to him up until now, because he had either been too stupid or in denial to see.

"Sasuke…you…" Naruto breathed, his voice cracking under the weight of his discovery.

Sasuke merely watched him, his expression inscrutable, but Naruto could see it all in his eyes, and he let out a breath.

He leaned forward, and Sasuke waited for him, apparently too anxious to do anything else. He tasted Sasuke's lips with his tongue, sliding it hesitantly along his bottom lip before trailing it along the seam. Sasuke opened his mouth a bit and let him enter to taste the inside as well. The flavor was dark and spicy, like sake and something else. Something Naruto couldn't get enough of. Sasuke's tongue met his and he groaned appreciatively, his usual inhibitions blasted away by the latent alcohol still in his system, but he felt clear-headed. He suddenly understood a lot of things that he had avoided thinking about before, and for the first time, he knew what he wanted.

The one who'd called him names since the first moment they'd met in kindergarten, but who had helped him when it really counted, especially recently. The one who had bought Naruto's gift for Sakura in the airport when he'd accidentally dumped his coins all over the floor. The one who'd helped him dress in his yukata, stopped him from drinking too much sake, and taken him back to the hotel. Kiba wouldn't have done and didn't do that for him, and they were best friends. He realized now that Sasuke had always been there, even in the early days when they were alone in the yard after school as their classmates were picked up by their parents, and while Naruto had been stupidly irritated by his interference most of the time since, Sasuke had always taken care of him in that unflappable manner of his.

Sasuke's warm weight covered him from head to toe, his teeth nipping at his lower lip as he ran his pale hands up and down Naruto's sides, trailing heat along his cooler, bare skin. Naruto couldn't help gasping from the touch, opening his mouth even wider and deepening their kiss.

Naruto's mind was a blur of sensation due to the heady rush he felt everytime Sasuke swiped his tongue against his or kneaded warm hands into his sides or trailed them across his chest. He slid his own hands over Sasuke's warm, clothed back, bending his knees on either side of his thin waist and letting him settle between his legs. Sasuke rolled his hips then and Naruto moaned and writhed at the unexpected friction, breaking the kiss as his head fell back against his pillow and exposed the column of his throat. Sasuke swiped along it with his hot tongue, nipping at the sensitive skin, and Naruto dug his fingers into his back, clinging to him and wondering how something so simple could make him feel so good as his heart beat loudly in his ears.

Naruto needed more contact, more heat from Sasuke's skin, and the pace became frenzied. He laced his arms around Sasuke's back and pulled him closer, the cloth of Sasuke's yukata creating a surprisingly delicious friction as it slid against his bare skin.

Sasuke responded by breaking contact with Naruto's earlobe which he had been worrying with his teeth and trailing his mouth along Naruto's jawline before dropping lower, nibbling and sucking on the muscles of his throat before working his way downward to his heaving chest.

Naruto gasped for breath, barely able to gulp down enough oxygen as Sasuke single-mindedly continued his path downward. He couldn't help but arch his back up toward Sasuke's warm mouth as it clamped down over his left nipple, his teeth nibbling at it before his tongue circled around the nub, soothing the hurt and setting him on fire.

"Ah!" Naruto gasped helplessly, burying his hands back into Sasuke's thick, black hair and clamping into his scalp as the teen's tongue continued to massage and flick the sensitive nub of his nipple, sending shockwaves of pleasure straight down to his groin. It was like the bastard knew exactly what to do, his tongue swirling expertly, his hot breath puffing over the sensitive, wet skin every time he pulled away.

Then Sasuke leaned back. Naruto actually whimpered at the loss of sensation and tried to pull Sasuke's head back down with his hands entwined in his hair, but Sasuke managed to pull away, untangling their hold on his scalp.

Naruto watched on with a pout tugging at his lips as Sasuke sat back on his haunches, hands already moving to untie his own obi. He made quick work of pulling off his yukata and threw it to the side, leaving him only in his boxers, matching Naruto's current state of undress. Naruto stared at him, his mouth going dry as the moonlight shone across the pale expanse of Sasuke's sculpted abs and chest, and he allowed himself to appreciate what all the girls saw in him without feeling too envious, before the taller teen slid back down, pressing the full weight of his sinuous length along Naruto's body. Naruto grunted, but he liked the feel of Sasuke's bare skin sliding against his and he licked Sasuke's jaw on impulse, making the usually stoic teen let out a quick hitched breath against the shell of his ear.

Sasuke turned his head, and Naruto recaptured his lips, once again intertwining his arms around his perspiring back, pulling him closer. Sasuke rolled his hips again, and Naruto gasped as their clothed erections slid against each other, almost overwhelmed by the friction and heat.

Naruto couldn't help the sounds he was making, his boxers uncomfortably tight now as he bent his legs around Sasuke's hips, arching up into every one of his thrusts. He could feel Sasuke trembling, their breath panting against each other's lips as they gasped for breath, and he thought he might be close to losing it, although he didn't want to before Sasuke did. He at least had that much pride, but then Sasuke pulled away, much to Naruto's consternation, leaving him with an aching erection. Although, it was only long enough for Sasuke to remove his own boxers, before he moved to pull Naruto's boxers down his trembling legs. Naruto helped, hastily raising his legs and kicking the boxers off once they reached his ankles.

He'd been so anxious about being naked in the onsen just last night, but now while he was still a bit nervous, he was also excited as Sasuke stared down at him, both of their bare chests heaving with exertion.

Sasuke's gaze zeroed in on his swollen cock and Naruto stiffened a bit in discomfort, but Sasuke only smirked. "You're a grower, apparently."

Naruto felt his cheeks heat. "Pervert."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, appearing unconcerned by the moniker, but pleased all the same.

He watched as Sasuke lowered himself back down, but this time a little lower, and he wondered what he was planning, before his eyes widened in shock. Sasuke's tongue slid out between his lips to lick at the sensitive tip of his cock, and Naruto arched halfway off the futon, moaning as that one action shot an unexpected jolt of pleasure straight up his spine.

Sasuke's arms came out to push his stomach back down, and he could just barely see the teen smirking, before that mouth moved down and completely engulfed him in heat. Naruto barely had time to register the move before he was almost paralyzed with the sensation of Sasuke's tongue working up and down his shaft, swollen lips tight around it as Sasuke's head bobbed up and down. The sight and sounds of it alone were nearly more than he could bear, and he had to close his eyes, biting his lower lip and swallowing the involuntary noises rising in his throat.

Naruto shuddered, the sensation in his lower abdomen coiling like molten fire that spread through his core and outward toward his limbs. He groaned brokenly and his voice quaked as he cried out in warning, "Sa-Sasuke…I…!"

But then Sasuke's mouth was gone completely with a soft pop and Naruto gasped at the sudden loss. He frowned up at him with a look of confusion and irritation, but the other appeared unaffected as he got up and went to the opposite wall of the room and scrounged through his bag.

"What're you doing?" Naruto groaned at the neglect, but Sasuke was back quickly, sitting over Naruto and unwrapping something small, flat, and square. Sasuke leaned down and kissed him once again on his pouting lips before resuming his task, pulling something out of the wrapping and pushing it down over his own erection.

Naruto realized it was a condom as Sasuke once again leant down over him for a longer, searing kiss. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, burying his hands in his black hair again. He nearly drowned in the kiss, eagerly tasting his mouth, as Sasuke pulled his tan legs up and over his shoulders, bending them at the knees. He felt something push against his entrance and he gasped, tensing.

"What…?"

Sasuke pulled away a bit, the pressure against his entrance retreating as well. Naruto stared up at him in confusion. Sasuke gazed down at him, his pale face uncharacteristically flushed. "I'm…preparing you."

"For what?" Naruto questioned apprehensively, his voice hoarse. He felt the weight of his ignorance fall upon him. He didn't really know how two guys had sex. He knew the theory, of course, but he'd never exactly researched the subject in detail. Really, he'd done his best to avoid the topic like the plague, probably because some part of him knew that he'd be entirely too interested.

Sasuke seemed to realize this, because he closed his eyes for a moment and breathed out. "Idiot."

Naruto scowled childishly, which felt ultra awkward with his upper back pressed into the futon and his feet up in the air as his thighs rested against Sasuke's chest, leaving his butt completely exposed to the cold air in the room. "Shut up. Only a pervert would know about this stuff…bastard."

Sasuke sighed, but he shifted and Naruto tensed as he felt something pressing against his anus again, before slipping inside. It was strange and uncomfortable and dirty, and Naruto couldn't believe it was happening, that Sasuke would willingly do this. "What are you…?"

"I'm preparing you," Sasuke repeated, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple as he pushed his finger further inside. Naruto bit his lip and clenched up at the invasion. Sasuke stared down at him intensely. "This is how it's done. If you want me to stop…" He paused and curled his finger, hitting something really sensitive and Naruto gasped in surprise. "Then tell me."

Sasuke's finger found that spot again and Naruto whimpered, the sensation going straight to his cock and making it throb.

"Do you want me to stop?" Sasuke asked hoarsely, his finger curling again.

Naruto shook his head blearily, blood rushing in his ears as the tension built up in his groin with each brush of Sasuke's finger deep inside him. "N-no."

Sasuke nodded and let out a short breath as if he'd been worried that Naruto would say yes and Naruto had to smile shakily. The bastard really was less confidant than he seemed. He whimpered a bit when the finger slipped out of him, but then it was replaced with two and it immediately felt too wide.

"Ah!" Naruto gasped, squirming a bit at the invasion.

"Relax," Sasuke muttered, but even he sounded strained as his fingers pushed forward.

"Easy for you to say," Naruto grunted. "You don't have someone's fingers up your ass."

Sasuke frowned at him, but he didn't say anything. He merely curled his fingers and Naruto nearly saw white, his back arching off of the futon involuntarily.

"Hah…shit," he exclaimed in surprise, his mind shutting down a bit and he bit his lip around a groan as the digits slowly spread within him, stretching him. Sasuke's expression was intense, his black bangs plastered to his sweaty face, as Naruto clenched around his fingers. He couldn't help it. The invasion felt strange and good all at once, and Sasuke's expression was oddly alluring. Naruto had the sense to know that if he didn't have the comforting warmth of sake still pulsing through his system, he might not have ever been able to relax, but now he was, and he had to admit, it felt really good, and he could tell Sasuke was trying to make it good for him.

This was why when Sasuke finally pressed against his entrance with something much thicker than his fingers, Naruto didn't give in to his knee-jerk reaction to pull away. He bit his lip and Sasuke grunted, his usually pale face flushed and his eyes half closed as he pushed forward inside of him, inch by inch. It hurt at first, but Sasuke took hold of Naruto's slightly softening cock and diverted his attention, making him gasp in gulps of oxygen that never seemed to be enough as his entire being throbbed with each pump of his fist. Sasuke thrust forward until he was buried inside of him, and he gasped, his stoic mask falling as he grimaced, obviously struggling to stay in control.

"You're so tight," Sasuke observed, his voice strained, his hand faltering around Naruto's cock.

Naruto grunted, his chest rising and falling with every one of his shallow breaths. He felt warm and raw inside, but it wasn't painful, just sensitive, and the feeling of Sasuke filling him was odd, but also incredibly hot. He stared up into Sasuke's eyes, challenging him. "What are you waiting for then?"

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, clearly still trying to control himself from what Naruto knew he wanted to do. Naruto realized he wanted it too, and Sasuke seemed to finally see that in his eyes, because he let out a breath and moved, sliding all the way out in one smooth motion, before slamming back in. Naruto's eyes nearly rolled back into his head. He'd managed to hit that spot inside of him dead on like the genius he was and it was like a million little stars burst behind his eyelids. Sasuke kissed him once he was buried to the hilt again, and Naruto gasped against his mouth, groaning and babbling incoherently about going faster and harder once Sasuke's mouth was no longer devouring his.

Sasuke complied, his hips moving faster until all Naruto felt was friction and heat deep inside of him, coiling in his groin and pooling in his balls until he barely could think. All he was aware of was the slap of flesh on flesh and the sound of their grunts and moans, the musky smell of their sweat and mutual arousal.

It wasn't long before it finally became too much, and he didn't even have time to shout out a warning, before he was cumming onto his own chest and stomach, his body trembling violently and clenching around Sasuke. He vaguely noticed Sasuke shuddering above him, lost as he was in his own earth-shattering orgasm, and Sasuke only thrust once more inside of him, before he cried out himself, his fingers digging into Naruto's thighs as he rode it out.

Sasuke collapsed on top of him and they both gasped for breath, their sweat cooling in the air. Naruto closed his eyes and Sasuke's breath puffed out over the crook of his neck, before he mouthed the salty flesh haphazardly, shifting his lower body a bit and settling more between Naruto's legs. Naruto sighed and slid his legs down Sasuke's side until his feet were once again planted on the futon on either side of his body.

"Bastard," Naruto whispered breathlessly, not really knowing what else to say, his mind a complete jumble as his body still trembled with the aftershocks of his first sexual encounter with anyone. He brought his arms up, which now felt like limp noodles and rested his hands on Sasuke's sweaty back. Sasuke grunted, his breathing coming under control and he licked Naruto's throat with the flat of his tongue tiredly.

Then Sasuke rolled off of him, but he kept their legs entangled. Naruto looked over at him, Sasuke's eyes at half mast, his cheeks pleasingly flushed as his hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. Sasuke merely looked back at him, caressing Naruto's bare side with his thumb, and Naruto sighed contentedly, feeling incredibly tired.

The last thing he sensed before he drifted off to sleep was a hand on his cheek, tracing his childhood scars and the sound of his name whispered in a low voice. A smile tugged at his lips and then he let the welcoming darkness swallow him up.

….

End of Part II.

Yeah, so the initial version of this Part in the Field Trip saga was sorta lacking, and non-con-ish…so I rewrote it. Especially the sex scene.

And remember how I'd tentatively offered to write an epilogue to this little monster? Well, now I'm writing the third part. So that should be fun.

Thanks to all those peeps who commented on the first version of this chapter. I hope you find it much improved. And thanks to all the knew readers and reviewers. Until next time then.


	3. Part III: Okay, I Do Like You, Happy?

Disclaimer: Do Not Own. Do Not Want. You cannot make me.

AN: And finally, the third and final part. Enjoy.

Field Trip

Part III: Okay, I Do Like You (And Now Everybody Knows It), Happy?

When Naruto woke up, he was on his side, bundled against something warm and hard, something that moved rhythmically up and down. He frowned at the strange sensation as the dregs of sleep began to recede from his fuzzy mind. He moved the arm that was currently wrapped around the strange object beside him, pushing his fingertips along smooth slopes, dips, and peaks. His confusion mounted, until the thing next to him moved and groaned.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, instantly regretting it when the sunlight practically burned his retinas, but once the damage was done, he couldn't close them again. He stared and stared until he was sure what he was seeing was not a figment of his imagination. The object he was next to, the object he was currently wrapped around, was not, in fact, an object at all, but a person. And not just any person, a Sasuke.

As if aware of his thoughts, Sasuke opened his eyes and stared down at Naruto, who was still nestled – that's right, _nestled_ – near the crook of his arm, and smirked, his gaze uncharacteristically warm.

That was when Naruto screamed, and it wasn't a manly scream, either. It was the type of scream one could only make under extreme duress. And while he screamed, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled back against the wall nearest the bathroom, pointing at Sasuke – who was still lying, quite naked, on the futon and staring up at Naruto in slight irritation.

"You!" Naruto bellowed, once he was done screaming. "_You!_"

Sasuke didn't say anything, but casually turned onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow as if he planned to wait for Naruto to run out of steam before trying anything.

"You're _naked_!" Naruto shouted out, as if this was one of the most horrific observations he had ever made.

"So are you," Sasuke observed, making his point by trailing his dark gaze up and down the length of Naruto's body.

Naruto looked down and 'eeped' before scrambling for the heap of covers at the end of his futon and covering himself.

Suddenly, Naruto felt really woozy and nauseous. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

And then, feeling his stomach heave in all the wrong ways, Naruto made a beeline for the bathroom and proceeded to lose his dinner, lunch, and breakfast from the day before into the toilet. He shuddered a bit when a warm hand came to rest on his back, but he couldn't do anything about it as he heaved once again.

Sasuke's hand moved around his back in soothing circles and Naruto actually felt a lot calmer because of it. Eventually, after two more dry heaves, Naruto's stomach settled enough so that he felt it safe to stop hunching over the toilet bowl and he let himself fall back against the opposite wall. That was the moment he felt a sharp pain run from his buttocks up his spine.

"Nnnngh," Naruto groaned, tasting the bile in his mouth and feeling sickened by it all over again, but not enough to lose it. He blearily looked up at Sasuke, who was now crouched next to him, a sheet wrapped haphazardly around his waist. "What the hell happened last night?"

"You got drunk," Sasuke replied succinctly. "And now you have a hangover."

"Boo," Naruto complained, still feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He tried to wrack his brains for memories of the night before, but he came up blank. "I can't remember anything."

"Probably because you were drunk," Sasuke observed unhelpfully, although there was an edge of disappointment in his voice.

Naruto looked up at him, noticing that to the casual observer the teen may have seemed like his usual bastardly self, but he was watching Naruto with an oddly concerned and anxious expression. It was disconcerting, because Naruto couldn't remember ever seeing that look on Sasuke's face before.

"Did we…?" Naruto's voice trailed off as he pointed between the two of them.

"If you mean, did we have sex," Sasuke began, rubbing a hand through his unruly morning hair and glancing away from Naruto awkwardly. "Then yes, we did."

Naruto let his head fall back against the wall behind him and stared in front of him at the toilet. "Wow, that's…weird."

He knew it sounded lame the moment he said it, but it was exactly how he felt about the situation. Actually, it was weird how not weird he felt. If that made any sense. He didn't really feel bad about it at all, in fact. He just felt incredibly odd, like there was something important he was forgetting, something he'd figured out the night before that he just couldn't remember now.

Sasuke remained silent.

"Why?" Naruto finally asked in utter bemusement. Really, he wasn't just asking Sasuke, but himself, and Naruto sure as hell wasn't able to provide any answers on the subject. His brain still felt a bit fuzzy from just having woken up and probably from dehydration as well.

Sasuke went to the sink and filled a cup with water from the tap, then handed it to Naruto. Naruto took it shakily, wondering how he knew he was thirsty, but just chalking it up to Sasuke being his usual weird self. It wouldn't be the first time he'd suspected the bastard could read minds. Sasuke sat down and leaned his back against the wall beside Naruto, staring in front of him toward the cabinet beneath the sink. For a long time they just sat like that, and Naruto almost began to think that Sasuke would never answer him until the teen's low voice echoed in the small room. "You asked me yesterday if I liked anyone."

Naruto nodded, already starting to understand and remember, but unsure if he really wanted to.

"I told you I did." Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto. "And last night…you found out who."

Naruto just stared at him, his heart racing. He almost couldn't believe what the other teen was telling him. It felt surreal, but not – oddly enough – in a bad way. Vague bits from the night before trickled through his foggy mind and he suddenly remembered how he'd discovered this on his own – how he'd felt so stupid for not having realized it earlier. "For how long?"

Sasuke smirked, but it appeared a bit bitter, and he turned his head and looked away as if he was actually a little embarrassed. "Since middle school."

Naruto's eyes widened. "_That_ long?"

Sasuke stiffly nodded in the affirmative, but he no longer made eye contact.

"But," Naruto continued, his thoughts whirling at the news. "But I thought you _hated_ me."

"At first, I did," Sasuke confirmed. "But only until seventh grade."

"What made you…?" Naruto began, and then paused, feeling embarrassed. "You know…"

"I started realizing that even though I hated you," Sasuke replied slowly and contemplatively. "Even though our fights irritated me. I enjoyed them. I enjoyed you, and…I liked how you made me feel, the things you made me forget. You're a good distraction."

Naruto stared at him in disbelief.

"So…you waited for me to get drunk and then took advantage of me," he summarized, automatically falling back into his old ways, vaguely noting that it was probably a defense mechanism, because he barely remembered the encounter himself.

Sasuke glared at him, actually looking affronted and hurt by the accusation. "It wasn't like that. You kissed me first."

Somehow, Naruto knew Sasuke was probably telling the truth. It was something he must have realized the night before, his feelings for the bastard. Somehow he recognized them now for what they were. Only, it had taken a lot longer for him to figure them out. But he thought he understood them now; the rush of adrenaline he'd always felt around Sasuke, which he had always equated to his burning hatred, didn't actually have anything to do with hatred at all. It explained why it had been so easy for him to accept Sasuke as a friend after the ruse was broken, and why he'd felt so comfortable with him the day before. There was something else there, below the surface, and he was beginning to realize that there had always been, to some extent, something between them. The entire revelation was invigorating and unnerving all at once. It was a lot to take in.

"So…" Naruto broke into the long silence, feeling awkward and unsure as his voice cracked traitorously. "What do we do about it?"

"That's not my decision to make," Sasuke replied evasively, acting put-out and defensive. "I think you know what I want – unless you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

Naruto glared at him, but it was half-hearted at best. If he was right, Sasuke was basically admitting he wanted more, and he couldn't mistake the warmth that bloomed in his chest at the idea. He thought about it carefully, remembering all that had happened, that he hadn't forgotten, in the last few days, and realizing that he had already made up his mind days ago, without having even noticed.

"Well, there's definitely one thing we'll have to do," Naruto began seriously, trying to contain the goofy grin that suddenly tried to break out on his face. "We're gonna have to do what we supposedly did last night again, because I can't remember any of it. Until I know what that's like, I can't know for sure."

Sasuke stared at him a little wide-eyed, his tone exasperated. "Idiot."

"Bastard," Naruto retorted, sticking out his tongue, but he smiled.

That seemed to be an invitation, because Sasuke leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss. Naruto's heart beat quickened and Sasuke bit on his lower lip, then swept his tongue between his slightly parted ones. Naruto found himself falling into it easily, an echo of a memory guiding him as he kissed Sasuke back a little clumsily, but with a decent amount of fervor. It was a few minutes later before they finally broke apart, both of them breathing shallowly.

"You taste like vomit," Sasuke stated, frowning a bit.

Naruto huffed, all his good feelings brought on by the kiss getting chucked out the window. "Well, that makes sense, since I just _barfed_ into the toilet!"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as per usual, clearly unimpressed with that excuse.

Naruto scowled, but suddenly, someone knocked on the door to their room, and Sasuke pulled away and got up, wrapping the sheet around his waist more securely as he opened the door.

Naruto could hear Mr. Umino's voice from the other side.

"Get your luggage ready, boys. We're all going to leave in half an hour."

Sasuke nodded and then the door closed.

Sasuke padded back over to the sink and took some toilet paper, wetting it under the faucet. He then used it, along with some soap, to rub at his chest and stomach where Naruto could now see a distinct crusty substance. Naruto realized what it was and blushed profusely, before noticing with some horror that he too had some of it stuck to his stomach.

"Gross," he whined as he got up and did the same thing as Sasuke. He looked at Sasuke in the mirror. "Next time, don't let me fall asleep before we clean ourselves up."

Sasuke only sent him a look, before throwing his tissue in the toilet and padding back out of the bathroom to change and get his luggage in order. Naruto finished his clean-up and then brushed his teeth, feeling strangely giddy.

He really wished he could remember the night before now, because he felt unaccountably happy. The sex must have been really good, he thought with a blush, and it had been his first time. His smile fell and he scowled into the mirror, really wishing he could remember now, because if he didn't, the next time they did anything – and just the thought of that sent a little thrill down his spine, which should have been totally weird, but wasn't – it would be like his first time all over again, and he might be horrible at it. He shook his head and spat the foamy toothpaste into the sink. No, it'd be fine. What was he so worried about? Obviously, he had done a good job of it last night, because he didn't hear Sasuke complaining. Not that the bastard usually complained about anything.

He jumped when Sasuke stepped up beside him at the sink, now clothed in a dark blue hoodie and long khaki shorts, and picked up the mouthwash he'd brought. Sasuke gargled it and spat back into the sink, before wiping his mouth with a towel, looking as bored as ever. But then Sasuke glanced over at him through his reflection, narrowing his eyes a bit in exasperation. "Dead-last."

Naruto bristled, but Sasuke raised a hand and swiped his thumb across his lips, which still had toothpaste at the corners. It was an oddly intimate gesture and Naruto could only stare at him like an idiot, his lips tingling, before Sasuke leaned forward and kissed him again. He grunted in surprise, but Sasuke pushed his tongue past his lips and it turned into a muffled groan. Sasuke's tongue mapped out the planes of his mouth and took his breath away in the process. Naruto couldn't believe how affectionate the usually stoic bastard was being, but he couldn't bring himself to complain as his hands automatically grabbed onto the front of Sasuke's hoodie and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Something unlocked in his mind and a startlingly clear memory of doing this same thing the night before, when he was completely naked under Sasuke's weight, flit into his mind and it was such a surprising thought that he squeaked and pushed Sasuke away, ending the kiss.

Naruto gulped in air and Sasuke watched him, just a hint of surprise and frustration flashing in his eyes.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized shakily, still trying to catch his breath as the memories kept on flooding in, like a dam had broken. His eyes widened when he remembered Sasuke thrusting into him, bringing him to the most explosive orgasm he'd ever had. It had put all of the quality time he'd spent with his right hand up until that point to shame. He hadn't even known guys could have sex like that, but he'd obviously enjoyed it. He could feel his face heat at that revelation, and Sasuke frowned, probably wondering what was going on in that idiot brain of his. "You…"

He trailed off, highly overwhelmed, and Sasuke's brows knit. Naruto realized the bastard must have been concerned, although he was doing his best not to show it. He remembered Sasuke looking like that a lot last night, actually, along with the other emotions that had crossed his face, emotions he hadn't even known Sasuke was capable of. He also hadn't known Sasuke was capable of the other things he'd done. Naruto's face heated even more. The bastard was always such an ice prince, it was humiliating to realize that all the girls had been right about him. Apparently he knew what he was doing in bed, and he knew exactly where to touch to get the desired effect. Even now, just thinking about it, Naruto was feeling a stirring of interest in all the right places.

Naruto groaned, feeling pathetic. "Kiba's never gonna let me live this down!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow sending him his patented 'you are a complete and total moron' look, but then he looked away, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as if he was actually uncomfortable. "It's none of his business."

"And Sakura…" Naruto muttered, panicking. "She's gonna hate me forever!"

"Hn." Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his frown deepened, obviously annoyed. He turned around and walked out of the bathroom. "Get dressed, moron. We're going to be late."

Naruto scowled at his back, but then he sighed, realizing it was no use worrying about it. He'd just have to deal with everyone's reactions. He hobbled out of the bathroom, a dull ache shooting up his tail bone with the movement, and he was embarrassed to find that it actually felt kind of good, especially when he remembered how he had gotten it. He shut his eyes and whined a bit in the back of his throat. When had he become such a masochist? And here he'd been calling Sasuke a pervert when he was obviously the biggest pervert of all. Although he blamed the bastard for that as well. No guy had a right to be that sexy. It was totally unfair!

He pulled some new clothes out of his pack and threw the rest of his belongings inside as Sasuke carefully placed his folded clothing into his own pack. Naruto shoved an orange t-shirt over his head, the one with the red spiral on the front, before he slipped into some jeans, muttering all the while about stupid, sexy bastards and their pervert-making ways. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn't comment, probably chalking it up to Naruto's usual idiocy and electing to keep out of it. It was probably for the best, really.

Once Naruto slipped into his old, worn flat-soled sneakers, Sasuke opened the door and he followed him down the hall and into the elevator. They were silent on the way down. Naruto was more nervous than he'd like to admit, but Sasuke was looking the same as he always did, his expression bored as he leaned back against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets. It was actually a bit of a relief, and Naruto relaxed a bit. If Sasuke acted like that, maybe nobody else would have to know about what they'd done. At least not right away. Eventually, it would become obvious, right? After all, they were going out now, right? And couples always did certain things in public. Naruto didn't really know. He'd never been in a relationship before. He realized he'd never even really thought about it. He'd been so obsessed with getting Sakura and beating Sasuke, that he'd never even really thought about what he'd do with her afterward. He scowled at his reflection in the golden doors. Really, that should have been his first clue. He'd never felt like more of an idiot.

When the doors opened and they entered the lobby, Naruto spotted everyone else already standing together in a group, apparently waiting to leave. Kiba spotted him and waved, although Naruto noticed he looked a little green.

"What happened to you?" Naruto questioned, when he reached Kiba, stopping between Shikamaru and Chouji, before making room for Sasuke, who stepped up beside him.

"Hangover," Shikamaru commented with a tired sigh. "He woke me up at five in the morning with his multiple visits to the toilet."

"Whatever," Kiba muttered irritably, before he narrowe d his eyes at Naruto accusingly. "It's not fair. You were seriously wasted last night before your _boyfriend_ took you back to your room. You should be just as sick as me."

Naruto stiffened, but then he realized Kiba couldn't have possibly known how closely his words mirrored the truth and he chuckled awkwardly. "I guess I just have a better tolerance than you do."

Kiba frowned irritably, looking pathetic. "The ferry ride is gonna suck."

"Just don't sit beside me," Shikamaru warned.

"Who said I was going to?" Kiba questioned. "I'm going to sit with my pal, Naruto, of course."

"Actually," Naruto began awkwardly, glancing over at Sasuke, who was watching him. "I was planning on sitting with Sasuke this time."

Kiba's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed awkwardly, feeling guilty as Kiba stared at him incredulously. "Sorry."

Kiba frowned, glancing between Naruto and Sasuke, and Naruto winced at his expression of distinct betrayal. "Right."

"I-I'll sit with you, Kiba," Hinata uttered sweetly from behind him.

Kiba stiffened a bit, before he turned and stared at her, his tattooed cheeks flushing red. "Um…t-thanks, Hinata."

Naruto grinned with relief. Kiba had been nursing a crush on the painfully shy Hinata since middle school, even though he'd never admitted it out loud. To everyone else, even Naruto who was usually oblivious to these sorts of things, it was obvious that he had it bad for the girl. Unlike Naruto, however, who was a glutton for punishment, Kiba was scared of rejection so he'd never made a move. Naruto sighed, grateful to the girl for taking the initiative. Now he didn't have to feel like such a douche.

But then he spotted Sakura and Ino standing just behind Hinata and glancing at Sasuke with their usual infatuated looks, and his relief evaporated into distinct unease. He glanced at Sasuke who, as usual, was ignoring everyone, his expression cool, until he noticed Naruto watching him and raised a questioning eyebrow, an unmistakable warmth blooming in his gaze that made Naruto swallow a sudden lump in his throat. Naruto shook his head and looked away, his stomach swooping alarmingly. Oh man, he had it bad, and Sakura was so going to hate his guts even more than she did already once she found out. He was _not_ looking forward to it.

"Alright, are we all here?" Mr. Umino called out from his position between the group of teenagers and the sliding glass doors at the lobby entrance. He seemed to be mentally counting them even as he asked, but then he looked satisfied when he was done. Mr. Hatake stood boredly behind him, apparently having finished his stash of trashy novels and left with nothing else to occupy his time, like actually doing his job. Although he did stare at Mr. Umino's backside in a manner that made Naruto's eyes widen in shock, but then Naruto shook his head. He was seriously becoming the hugest pervert ever to even think that way about his teachers based on a look. Mr. Umino simply ignored Mr. Hatake per usual. "Good, good. Let's make our way down to the visitor's center now. The ferry should be arriving soon, and once we get back into Hiroshima we can all have lunch."

They made their way out and Naruto instantly regretted not wearing a hoodie, because it was humid and raining. He raised his hands above his head in a futile gesture, only to be surprised when the rain stopped abruptly. He looked up to see Sasuke holding an umbrella over him, and he smiled. "Thanks!"

"Hn." Sasuke shook his head as if exasperated, but Naruto could tell he was acting that way for show. It was surprisingly to easy to read the brooding teen now that he knew where to look. The bastard was really just a big softy on the inside, but he was sure Sasuke would be less than thrilled to hear that, so Naruto remained tight-lipped, smiling to himself.

He and Sasuke trailed just behind Kiba and Hinata, but Naruto could see Sakura and Ino walking just ahead and gazing back at him and Sasuke with puzzled looks. He was sure, even after yesterday, that it was pretty hard for the girls to wrap their heads around the sudden cessation of his and Sasuke's bitter rivalry, although if they really knew what was going on, they'd probably blow a gasket. Naruto cringed. He happened to know Sakura packed a mean left hook from personal experience, although his real dread stemmed from the fact that he just didn't want to hurt her. He'd seen the way she'd looked last night outside the bar when she'd confessed her love for Sasuke. Unlike Naruto's feelings for her, he knew her feelings for Sasuke were real and they ran deep. He knew instinctively that when she found out about the nature of his and Sasuke's relationship, she'd be devastated. He didn't want that to happen, but that didn't mean he was willing to end whatever he had with Sasuke either. He would have never believed it even two days ago, but being with Sasuke, even just hanging around him, felt right in a way chasing Sakura all those years never had. So, he was stuck and he honestly didn't know if there was any way he could make it hurt less when the time came.

He doubted Sasuke would care. It was obvious he'd never been particularly fond of the girl, but Naruto supposed he could understand why with the way she'd acted around him since the very moment she'd met him back in preschool. She was just another infatuated girl in the sea of obsessed fangirls Sasuke had unwillingly accumulated throughout his life, and since he didn't even like girls, it must have been tough for him. Sasuke had never been particularly cruel to her, but he'd never acted particularly inviting to her advances either. It was pretty obvious that he didn't want to date any of the girls who constantly threw themselves at his feet, but his cold treatment only seemed to make them fall harder. Naruto shook his head. Girls were weird. He ignored the small voice in his head calling him a hypocrite, given his own dogged pursuit of a girl who had never given him the time of day.

He stared out at the orange torii gate as they passed the bay again, a troubled frown on his face. The tied was out now and the gate's stilts were no longer submerged, but planted in the sand of the narrow beach. As usual, the deer stared at them as they sat beneath the cover of the small trees along the path. They didn't look nearly as nefarious as they had his first day on the island. They just looked tired, their fur wet, and for the first time Naruto thought they looked kind of cute. Probably because they weren't ambling toward him with the intent of eating his shirt.

"The deer are certainly less spirited today!" Rock Lee commented from behind him, sounding entirely too spirited himself.

"This rain is troublesome," Shikamaru complained, punctuating his point by yawning. Naruto glanced back at him and shook his head with a small smile. The deer-king looked as tired as his subjects, his hair completely wet as he'd apparently been too lazy to use his own umbrella.

Chouji just munched on his soggy chips happily, completely unfazed by the weather.

They finally reached the visitor center and everyone stepped under the balcony as Mr. Umino and Mr. Hatake went into the building to buy tickets and wait for the ferry to arrive. Naruto leaned against the wall, and Sasuke shook out his umbrella and closed it before joining him. Naruto couldn't help noticing the warmth that passed between them as their shoulders brushed together and stayed connected, and he looked away, his face heating traitorously. Kiba, who had only had his fur-trimmed hooded jacket on for protection against the rain, shook like a dog and splashed everyone around him, including Hinata, who squeaked in alarm. Then the idiot saw what he'd done and stiffened in horror, before trying to brush the water off of Hinata's ample chest with his bare hands. Hinata went completely red in the face and Ten-Ten's eye twitched in annoyance at the sight, but Naruto had to laugh. It was just like his best friend to completely ruin a date with his bad habits and awkwardly executed solutions. That kind of thing would work around his guy friends, but he was completely clueless when it came to girls and it showed. If anyone beat Naruto in that category, it was Kiba. It was probably why they were such good friends.

Kiba glared back at him irritably when he heard him, but then someone tapped Naruto on the shoulder and he turned with a jolt to see Sakura standing in front of him, Ino hovering just behind her.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura greeted, her gaze flitting around uncomfortably.

"Um…hey, Sakura," Naruto replied lamely, feeling just as uncomfortable, and for the first time he was wondering why she was talking to him instead of rejoicing that she was even giving him the time of day. What a difference a night made. He could feel Sasuke stiffen a bit beside him, which didn't help matters.

"Listen…" she began awkwardly, pushing some of her pink bangs behind her ear, before looking him in the eye again. "Could I talk to you?"

"Um…yeah," Naruto replied, nonplussed.

"Alone?" she clarified, barely even looking in Sasuke's direction.

"Oh! Um…" he blurted and glanced over at Sasuke. As expected, Sasuke looked unimpressed by the entire turn of events, but he didn't say anything. Naruto pushed a hand through his wet hair and looked back at her. "Sure!"

"Thanks." She nodded and turned around.

Naruto followed her with mounting trepidation, walking past Ino who nodded and smiled at Sakura as she passed but only sent him a stony look. Sakura stopped beneath a deer-free tree on the other side of the stone-tiled courtyard and Naruto stopped beside her, shifting from one foot to another.

She took a deep breath, before she locked eyes with him again. "I'm sorry about…last night."

"Huh?" Naruto blurted, having expected something else. "Oh…um…it's fine. No need to apologize!" He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head again.

Sakura smiled at him, actually looking relieved. "You're a good guy, Naruto."

"Um…thanks," Naruto said, feeling his cheeks heat. He wasn't used to compliments. Especially from her. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him from across the courtyard and he couldn't help glancing back. The teen's gaze was intense, and Naruto could tell he wasn't especially fond of Naruto speaking alone with the girl he'd been pursuing for about 14 years. For some reason, Naruto's heart jumped into his throat and his cheeks got even warmer. He had this odd urge to go back to Sasuke's side and kiss him. He pulled his gaze away and shook his head, noticing that Sakura was glancing between him and Sasuke with a quizzical look. He plastered a smile on his face, already feeling guilty. "Is that all?"

"Um…no, actually." Sakura shook her head, but now she looked even more uncomfortable, swinging her weight from one foot to the other and biting her lip. "I was wondering…you've become good friends with Sasuke, haven't you?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess," Naruto replied uncomfortably, wondering where she was going with this, but getting a sense that it probably wasn't leading to anything good.

"Could you…?" She began, licking her lips. "Could you ask him if I could sit with him on the way back to Hiroshima?"

Naruto stared back at her, admittedly shocked by her request. She had to know how painful this question would be for him if he'd still liked her, which was probably why she was being so awkward about it, but instead of getting angry he just felt sorry for her. "Um…"

"I know it's terrible of me to ask," she blurted, looking truly contrite. "I just…you and he have become so close, and I can't think of anyone else who he'd even listen to. I'd do it myself, but…"

She trailed off helplessly and Naruto bit his lip, feeling really bad. "Sakura…"

She stared at him hopefully and he sighed, realizing the time had finally come, and his heart clenched. "Um…there's something you should know…about Sasuke."

"What is it?" she questioned, her voice small as she took in what must have been his most serious expression. He doubted she'd even seen that look on his face before. He wasn't usually the serious type. Especially around her. It must have set her further on edge.

"He…um…" Naruto faltered and looked away, his cheeks heating again, but he forced himself to finish, for her sake. "He doesn't like girls."

"What do you mean?" Sakura questioned, although Naruto thought he could see a spark of understanding in her eyes, something she probably didn't even want to acknowledge in order to keep her world from crumbling down around her.

"He likes guys," Naruto clarified, wincing a bit. "More specifically, um…he likes me."

She stared at him, her eyes widening. "As a friend?"

Naruto shook his head, his heart contricting a bit at the look of pain that dawned across her pretty features. "No."

"That's…why would…h-how do you know?" Sakura questioned, obviously desperate to find a hole in his argument, to maintain her dream of marrying Sasuke and bearing his children, growing old with him in a blue house with a white picket fence, the perfect dream. She'd probably built her entire future up in her head and here Naruto was, the one shattering that dream and bringing her back down to reality.

"Um…" Naruto face only got hotter, not really sure how much he wanted to reveal. He decided to keep it small. He didn't think he was ready to tell her, or anyone, everything, and she certainly wasn't ready to hear it. "We…um…kissed…last night."

She stared at him, her face draining of color, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Really?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied softly, before adding. "I'm sorry."

"Are you two…?" she began, completely bewildered. "But I thought you liked _me_."

Naruto let out a breath, his shoulders tense. He hated this. "I thought I did too, believe me."

She stared at him, completely nonplussed, but then she glanced over at Sasuke and back at him, and her expression changing, something clearly clicking into place. Her lip began to quiver and he instantly knew what would happen next. Her eyes filled with tears and she immediately looked away, wiping at them as discreetly as she could. "I'm sorry…I…"

She trailed off and Naruto watched on helplessly. "I'm sorry too. I never meant to…I don't want to hurt you."

She laughed wetly, her breath hitching as she covered her eyes with a quivering hand. "It m-makes a lot of sense, actually…somehow, I'm not surprised." Her breath hitched again. "He'd never had a girlfriend, you know?"

Naruto nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

"A-all those girls…falling in love with him…" she continued hoarsely, wiping at her eyes. "He never even looked at them." Her hand dropped away, revealing her puffy, red-rimmed eyes, her cheeks flushed and blotchy, but she still looked prettier than most girls. She smiled a bit, but it looked pained. "He always paid attention to you though."

Naruto stared at her guiltily. "I'm not easily ignored. You know that."

She chuckled and nodded, her eyes misting up again. "Yeah…that's true. Maybe if I'd been more irritating and loud…"

Naruto chuckled awkwardly. "Somehow, I think you'd still be missing a few things."

She shook her head, and her eyes caught upon something past Naruto's shoulder. He glanced back and saw Ino standing beneath her hot pink, hello kitty umbrella, right where they'd left her, her expression visibly concerned. Sakura just waved at her, showing that she was fine, although her lip was quivering dangerously again. Naruto didn't know what to do to make things better so he just stood there like an idiot. Sakura sighed shakily, then looked up at him. "T-thanks for telling me, before I…"

She trailed off and shrugged, and Naruto just nodded, watching her carefully. "Um…sure."

"Does anyone else know?" she asked, sounding resigned, but her body seemed more relaxed now, her posture straightening a bit.

A leaf fell onto her hair and Naruto picked it out without much thought, until he realized how overly-familiar the gesture was and showed her the leaf apologetically. She smiled at him, and he allowed himself to smile back. It was in that moment he realized they could be really good friends, and the idea buoyed him to the point where the ache in his chest brought on by guilt and sorrow mostly dissipated. He'd expected her to rail against him, get angry with him, even beat him, but she wasn't that type of person, and Naruto realized he'd never actually gotten to know her all the years they'd practically grown up together. He began to think that maybe all of this had been a good thing. Both of them could stop chasing after things that just weren't right for them, and they'd be happier for it.

He noticed she was watching him expectantly and with a jolt he remembered her question. He shook his head. "You're…um…the first person I've told, and Sasuke…"

"Doesn't talk to anyone," Sakura finished for him, her voice still a bit wobbly, but she looked a lot less depressed. She shook her head, and glanced in the direction Naruto knew Sasuke was leaning against the wall. She frowned. "I hope you make him happy. He's – "

"I know," Naruto stated, and he did know. Sasuke was a piece of work. That was for sure. But he thought he had a handle on him now.

Sakura stared back at him and then smiled tremulously. "It's good that it's you and not…some other girl." She let out a short breath. "I don't think I could've taken that."

"Thanks…um…I think," Naruto replied lamely, rubbing the back of his neck again.

Sakura's smile grew and her gaze was warm, if not still a bit wet. "Take care of him."

Naruto stopped rubbing his neck awkwardly as she practically gave him her blessing, and he sent her what he hoped was his most sincere smile. "I will, don't worry…and…" He faltered, biting his lip, wondering if it was too soon to even say this, but deciding he wouldn't back down. "I hope we can be friends."

She laughed wetly and pushed her bangs out of her face. She looked more alive than he'd ever seen her. Something carefree sparking in her eyes as all of her walls seemed to crumble down. "Okay…yes."

She no longer had to worry about impressing anyone, and it really was a sight to behold. She'd make some lucky guy really happy one day, Naruto knew, it just wouldn't be him. And he was totally fine with that, because he had Sasuke, and that's who he'd wanted all along. He smiled down at her. "Good."

She stepped forward and put her arms around him, and he stiffened in shock for a moment before he managed to get his limbs to work and wrapped his arms around her smaller frame. He could hear Kiba wolf-whistling, and he and Sakura immediately disentangled themselves. Naruto's cheeks heated and he frowned at Kiba, gestering for him to shut up, but the boy just called out to them across the court yard. "Way to go, Naruto!"

Naruto shook his head again, glaring at his stupid friend, before he caught sight of Sasuke who was looking away from him, a deep frown etched onto his face as he obviously pretended not to care, but Naruto could tell, he did care. His posture was as stiff as a board and his arms were crossed. Clearly, he was pissed off and hurt, but he didn't want anyone to know. It didn't help that some other classmates, including Lee and Sai, were clapping.

"Kiba, you idiot," Naruto muttered and rubbed his face tiredly.

Sakura sighed irritably beside him, and Naruto glanced at her. She shook her head. "Sorry. You'll have to clear this up. I think we've given everyone the wrong idea."

Naruto slumped forward and eyed Sasuke's tense expression as the black-haired teen pointedly avoided his gaze. "Mah…I was afraid of that."

"You did it, bro!" Kiba howled obliviously, pumping the air with his fist.

"Shut up, Kiba!" Naruto howled back. "It's not what it looks like!"

"What?" Kiba called back, obviously hard of hearing or being annoying on purpose. Naruto was inclined to believe the latter, so he shook his head and ignored him.

He turned his gaze back to Sasuke and walked toward him, ignoring the continuing wolf-whistles and scattered clapping as Sakura made her way over to Ino and shook her head at Ino's rapid-fire questioning. Sasuke continued to ignore Naruto in turn, apparently finding something on the ground near his feet endlessly fascinating. Naruto shook his head and sighed long-sufferingly, before he stopped in front of him, but Sasuke continued to ignore him.

"Sasuke," Naruto stated, trying to get his attention.

Sasuke didn't even twitch in response, but his body was still stiff, his posture forbidding, and Naruto sighed. "Bastard…that wasn't…I know you can hear me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked up at him, his expression walled off completely, and Naruto's heart clenched. The bastard was obviously trying to push him away to avoid getting hurt. "Stop being stupid, damnit!"

Sasuke glared at him, his mask crumbling, and Naruto could see all the hurt, anger, and uncertainty in his eyes. Although he was still struggling to save face. "What do you want, moron?"

"_WHAT?!_" someone shrieked and Naruto looked behind him to see Ino standing beside Sakura, her expression the picture of shock as her head turned toward him in that very moment. Everyone else was staring at her now, but she didn't even seem to notice as her wide-eyed gaze slid toward Sasuke.

Sakura said something that Naruto couldn't hear and Ino looked to be hyperventilating. Sakura frowned and then sent Naruto an apologetic look. Naruto looked back at Sasuke, who was now glaring at Ino with a bemused frown.

"Well, I guess she knows now too," Naruto sighed, resigned to the information spreading one way or another. Ino was the class gossip, after all. "It's only a matter of time."

Sasuke glanced at him questioningly, but he remained stiff and sealed off. Naruto could tell he wanted to ask a lot of questions, but he wouldn't allow himself to. He'd probably assumed the worse. He probably thought Sakura was telling Ino that she and Naruto were now in a relationship or something. Naruto frowned at him, then rolled his eyes.

"Oh, what the hell," he huffed, and stepped forward, placing his hands on Sasuke's face, keenly aware that everyone was watching them now. "Don't bite me…or um…kick me in the balls, alright?"

And then he kissed him. Sasuke was expectedly stiff and close-lipped at first, but Naruto nibbled on his lower lip, before licking the flesh and sliding his tongue between his lips, asking for entrance. However, Sasuke remained just as tense, his mouth sealed shut, and Naruto began to worry. Only when he grunted in frustration did the bastard finally tilt his head and take over, opening his mouth and sliding his hands around Naruto's back, pulling him against him until Naruto could feel Sasuke's heart beating against his chest, mimicking the rate of his own. Naruto groaned appreciatively and Sasuke plundered his mouth, holding nothing back, marking everything with his tongue as if he owned it. It was clearly a message and Naruto accepted it with no complaint, opening his mouth wider to allow him greater access. Sasuke seemed to gain confidence from that, because his movements became less frenzied and the kiss slowed as they tasted each other.

It was a long time before Naruto finally pulled away, gasping for breath, feeling lightheaded in the aftermath. He grinned at Sasuke, who was watching him, his eyes darker than usual, his swollen lips parted. Naruto caressed his cheek with a thumb.

"You're stuck with me, bastard," Naruto promised roughly, before he looked around at their witnesses, his classmates staring at them in varying degrees of shock. Sakura and Ino were actually holding their noses, looking suspiciously pink in the face. Naruto grinned back at Sasuke. "And now everyone knows it."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, and then he seemed to relax, his mouth curling into a muted smirk. "Good."

Sasuke kissed him again and Naruto responded happily.

"_DUDE_…" Kiba cried out, sounding highly distressed. "What is going on?! I thought you wanted to bone Sakura!"

Naruto disentangled himself from Sasuke just in time to see Sakura shout an oath and punch Kiba in the face, sending him flying into the wall. Naruto winced. He knew how that felt only too well. Sakura merely rubbed her fist and nodded, apparently satisfied as Kiba stumbled back to his feet and Hinata rubbed his back in concern. Naruto cringed.

Shikamaru shook his head, looking tired after all the excitement, but he merely nodded to Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto nodded back, and his classmates seemed to take that as a sign that it wasn't really that big of a deal. Most of them nodded to him and Sasuke as well. Even Karin appeared mollified as she shook her head and walked over to speak with Sakura, her former rival. Kiba hobbled over, rubbing at his face as Hinata followed him, watching him worriedly.

"Sorry, Kiba," Naruto blurted, his face heating again as he saw his best friend up close.

Kiba shook his head, and he glanced over at Sasuke warily. "It's not like I'm not totally shocked, but…that woman carries a mean punch," Kiba stated irritably. "It's probably best you didn't bone her."

"Thanks," Naruto replied dryly, although he felt a certain warmth bloom in his chest. It was probably the closest to a blessing of his relationship that he would ever get out of his best friend.

"But…" Kiba began, putting up a finger and narrowing his eyes at Sasuke. "If you hurt him, I'm gonna mess you up, asshole!"

Sasuke only narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Hn."

Naruto smiled. That was good enough for him.

….

He stared out the window as the torii gate got smaller and smaller, the clouds parting and heralding another hot and humid day in Japan. Sasuke sat beside him on the bench seat, listening to something on his giant, noise-blocking head phones as their classmates chatted loudly around them. He noticed Naruto watching him and nodded, lifting his arm and laying it over Naruto's shoulders. Naruto smiled and sat back, using his arm as a cushion.

He watched the island until it was only a small dot on the horizon, and smiled to himself.

This had been the best field trip ever.

….

_The End_

AN: And there you have it. The final completion of this epic one-two-three shot of doom. I hope you enjoyed it and all the happy times.

Until next time, then!


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